During the independence war, Gush Etzion was disconnected. Ammunition, food and medical supplies were dangerously low.
A group of 38 Palmach soldiers went from Har Tuv on foot to bring supplies to Gush Etzion.
One soldier was injured and was sent back with two others to carry him. 35 (Lamed Heh) remained.
They were supposed to walk over 20 Kilometers during the night in a tough rural area surrounded by Arab villages. In the early morning they were spotted by Arab women collecting wood. The group didn’t harm the women and those went and called the Arabs from the villages around who came by the hundreds.
A fight broke on one of the hills. The 35 surrounded by hundreds fought all day long till they ran out of ammunition themselves.
The 35 were all killed , their bodies mutilated and all their belongings looted by the Arabs.
They were buried the next day in Gush Etzion in full military ceremony.