Gadna was the Hebrew acronym for the “Youth Battalions,” a youth formation affiliated with the Zionist Haganah organization. It included boys and girls who were prepared and trained for military and support duties. Their activities included guarding, carrying messages and supplies, observation, assisting in the defense of positions, and, in some cases, direct participation in military operations during the Nakba and the occupation of Palestine in 1948.
Gadna was not an independent military brigade comparable to the Golani, Carmeli, or Alexandroni brigades. Rather, it formed part of the Haganah system for preparing young people and employing them in military and auxiliary roles. PalQuest explicitly describes Gadna as the “Youth Battalions of the Haganah.” One documented example of its participation was as part of the composite force that surrounded and occupied Ayn Karim, Jerusalem District, in July 1948, alongside Irgun elements and the Home Guard.
