Squadrons

Hatzor
31°45'N 34°43'E

Located near the lower west coast of Israel, east-south-east of Ashdod, Hatzor has a pair of runways each 2434 meters long. Completed in 1945 as RAF Qastina (Kastina), the facility was transferred to to the IAF on 09 November 1948.

Hazor base began as the British "Castina" base. At the base were two British squadrons operating Halifax and Dakota aircraft. In 1946, the IDF, as part of the operations of the Hebrew Hemari movement, raided a number of bases including Kastina and caused a lot of damage to the planes.

When the British left the country, "Givati" soldiers took their place and a few months later, at the end of 1948, the "First Fighter Squadron" was transferred "From the airport in Herzliya to the base, which at the time was named "Shamuel Field", after Sam (Shmuel) Pomeranz, who was killed during the transfer of the Spitfire planes from Czechoslovakia in Operation "Velveta".