The Castel is a Crusader fortress which sits on a mountain on the main route to Jerusalem, rendering it an important strategic point. Jewish troops took the Castel on Apr. 2, 1948 without a battle, but the Arabs, understanding its military importance, attacked it. At the end of a five-day battle the Palmach forces were defeated. However, the Arab commander Abd-el-Qader el-Husseini was killed in battle, causing his troops to abandon the mountain. At 2 AM on Apr. 7, the Palmach forces took control of the abandoned mountain and retained it during the remainder of the war.