Castel National Park is an Israeli national park, which consists of a fortified summit in the Judean Mountains, at the site of the former Palestinian village of Al-Qastal, known to Hebrew-speakers as HaCástel, "the Cástel". It is located 8 km west of Jerusalem on the road linking it to Tel Aviv.
The Castel fortress
Convoy on its way to Jerusalem, 1948
Qastal during Operation Nahshon
Al-Qastal was a Palestinian village located eight kilometers west of Jerusalem and named for a Crusader castle located on the hilltop. Used during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War as a military base by the Army of the Holy War, virtually all of its residents fled during the fighting and the village was eventually captured by the Palmach.
al-Qastal hill
View of Qastal before Operation Nachshon
View of the road from Qastal
Palestinian irregulars moving to counterattack Haganah positions in Al-Qastal, 7–8 April 1948