Editing First Battle of Gaza (section)

===EEF raid on Khan Yunis===
[[File:ShellalOzPrisoners00117v.jpg|thumb|Australian prisoners captured at Shellal]]
Dobell thought the victory at Rafa should be quickly exploited by attacking Gaza; "an early surprise attack was essential&nbsp;... otherwise it was widely believed the enemy would withdraw without a fight."<ref>Bruce 2002, p. 90</ref><ref>Carver 2003, pp. 196–7</ref> He ordered Rafa to be occupied by mounted troops while two infantry divisions of Eastern Force remained at El Arish to defend his headquarters.<ref name="Falls273"/>

On 23 February, the Anzac Mounted Division and the 53rd (Welsh) Division, commanded by Major General S.F. Mott, were camped on the beach at [[Sheikh Zowaiid]]. Here they were joined by the 22nd Mounted Brigade, replacing the 5th Mounted Brigade which returned to El Burj.<ref name=Powles82>Powles 1922, p. 82</ref> That day, the New Zealand Mounted Rifles and the 2nd Light Horse Brigades commanded by [[Edward Chaytor]] made a reconnaissance in force to [[Khan Yunis]] {{convert|5|mi|km}} past Rafa. Khan Yunis was held in strength, and the Chaytor's Column withdrew after "a brush" with the defenders. The town was found to be part of a line of strong posts held by the Ottoman Army protecting southern Palestine. Known as the Hans Yonus–El Hafir line, these posts consisted of well-dug trenches. They were located at Shellal, which was a particularly strongly fortified position, at [[Weli Sheikh Nuran]], at [[Beersheba]], and at Khan Yunis.<ref name="Falls276"/><ref name="Erickson2001_161">Erickson 2001, p. 161</ref>

As a consequence of the reconnaissance to Khan Yunis, and the growing strength of EEF units in the area, the Ottoman Army garrisons realised the line was nevertheless too weak to be successfully defended. In February, [[Enver Pasha]], [[Friedrich Freiherr Kress von Kressenstein]], and [[Cemal Pasha]] withdrew from the line, retiring {{convert|14|mi|km}} northwards. Here they established much more formidable defences in front of Gaza, to stop any Allied advance up the coast. This withdrawal was completed by mid–March when the Ottoman Fourth Army was in position.<ref>Powles 1922, pp. 83–4</ref><ref>Keogh 1955, pp. 78–9</ref><ref>Bruce 2002, pp. 90–1</ref><ref name="Downes616">Downes 1938, p. 616</ref> Their new defensive line stretched north and north east, from Gaza on the north side of the [[Wadi Ghuzzee]] to Tel esh Sheria, where the [[Palestine Railways|Palestine railway]] crossed the Wadi esh Sheria.<ref name="Downes616"/><ref name="Falls277–8">Falls 1930 Vol. 1 pp. 277–8</ref>

On 28 February, Chetwode's Desert Column occupied Khan Yunis unopposed and the headquarters of the Column was established at Sheikh Zowaiid, while Eastern Force headquarters remained at El Arish.<ref name="Falls276"/> The ancient town of Khan Yunis on the main road to Gaza was said to be the birthplace of Delilah. With bazaars, narrow streets and a castle, it was one of several villages in this fertile area of southern Palestine, {{convert|6|mi|km}} north of Rafa and the Egyptian–Ottoman frontier. Here was found the largest and deepest well in the area, and after engineers had installed a pumping machine, it gave an unlimited supply of water for both men and horses. The village quickly became an important forward site for supply depots and bivouacs.<ref name="McPherson172–3">McPherson 1985 pp. 172–3</ref><ref name="Blenkinsop184">Blenkinsop 1925 p. 184</ref> Around Khan Yunis gardens, orange orchards, fig plantations and grazing were carried on by the local population, while in the Rafa and Sheikh Zowaiid areas barley and wheat were grown.<ref name="McPherson172–3"/><ref name="ReferenceA">Secret Military Handbrook 23 January 1917 Supplies pp. 38–49 Water pp. 50–3 Notes pp. 54–5</ref><ref name="Moore68">Moore 1920 p. 68</ref>

{{blockquote|The area across the border&nbsp;... was "delightful country, cultivated to perfection and the crops look quite good if not better than most English farms, chiefly barley and wheat. The villages were very pretty&nbsp;– a mass of orange, fig and other fruit trees&nbsp;... The relief of seeing such country after the miles and miles of bare sand was worth five years of a life."|Lieutenant Robert Wilson<ref>Bruce 2002 p. 87</ref>}}