On November 29, 1947, the United Nations decided to end the British Mandate in Palestine and establish two states within the borders of Palestine. According to the UN decision, the British were to evacuate the country no later than May 15, 1948.

On May 15, 1948, the day after David Ben-Gurion declared the establishment of the State of Israel, Arab armies invaded the Land of Israel. Bloody battles raged on all fronts from the day of the invasion until June 11. Only then did the fighting forces agree to the Security Council's call for a month-long ceasefire. The situation in Jerusalem was particularly dire, as on May 18, the Arab Legion took up positions in Latrun and at the Shaar Hagai, thereby besieging Jerusalem. The danger of Jerusalem being cut off from Tel Aviv prompted the high command to concentrate its main efforts on breaking through to Jerusalem. The breakthrough to Jerusalem involved the capture of the cities of Lod and Ramla, which were held by Arab fighters under the command of Hassan Salama. The danger posed by these two cities was twofold: first, they could serve as a base for forces attacking the Tel Aviv area; and second, they threatened travelers on the road to Jerusalem.

Operation Dani was one of the largest military operations of the War of Independence. It was carried out at the end of the first truce, between July 9 and 19, 1948, during a period known as the “Ten-Day Battles.” It was the largest operation to date, and a force of about four brigades was assembled for it. During the operation, Lod and Ramla were captured, the Arab Legion’s threat to the Tel Aviv area was removed, and dozens of Arab villages were captured. About 50,000 Arabs fled the area under Israeli control. The corridor to Jerusalem was also widened. The operation was named after the commander of the “Mountain Unit,” Dani Mass. Since the second phase of the operation was planned to also capture Latrun and Ramallah, Operation Dani is also known as Operation LRLR (Lod-Ramla, Latrun-Ramallah).

At the end of the western phase of Operation Dani, dozens of Arab villages fell into Israeli hands. The two cities of Lod and Ramla ceased to be strongholds of the Arab Legion soldiers and no longer threatened transportation from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The young State of Israel gained its most important airport and the most important railway junction in the country.

(From: Vakar, Ora, 1977, Lod - Historical Geography, published by Goma and the Municipality of Lod - Cherikover).