Between 1951 and 1956, one of the pressing challenges was a series of terror attacks, mainly infiltrations and cross-border raids, which came to be known as the "fedayeen attacks."

The term "fedayeen" refers to armed Palestinian Arab militants who operated primarily from the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and Jordan. These militants, not directly affiliated with any state's regular army, carried out attacks against Israeli civilians and military targets. Their motivations ranged from political and nationalistic aspirations for a Palestinian state to personal grievances and vendettas.

Here is a list of the attacks

1. 1951:

   • March 17: A shooting attack on a Jerusalem bus resulted in the death of one and the injury of two passengers.
   • July 14: Armed Palestinian Arab terrorists killed a resident of Ashkelon south of the city.
   • October 24: A guard of the Israeli waterline was killed near Kibbutz Yad Hannah by terrorists.

2. 1952:

   • June 11: Three Israelis were shot and killed in different parts of the country by terrorists.
   • June 13: Armed terrorists attacked a young couple in their home in Kfar Hess, killing the woman.

3. 1953:

   • April 7: Armed terrorists ambushed a bus traveling from Eilat to Tel Aviv and opened fire at it.
   • August 12: Armed terrorists killed an Israeli resident of Mishmar David and injured another.

4. 1954:

   • January 14: Armed terrorists opened fire at a gathering of civilians in Rehovot, killing two children.
   • March 17: One of the deadliest attacks during this period occurred near the Ma'ale Akrabim kibbutz in the Negev desert. Armed terrorist ambushed a civilian bus, killing 11 of its passengers. The brutality of the attack, where victims were reportedly mutilated, shocked the nation and the international community.
   • December 7: Armed terrorists killed two hikers in the Judean Hills.

5. 1955:

   • June 11: Armed terrorists ambushed and killed four Israeli laborers near the town of Re'im.
   • November 8: Terrorists killed two Israeli workers in an orchard of the youth village, Neve Hadassah.
   • December 10: Terrorists attacked a synagogue in the town of Shafrir (today Kiryat Ekron) during prayer, killing three children and a youth instructor.

6. 1956:

   • April 29: Armed terrorists killed three Israeli policemen near Mount Hebron.
   • June 22: Armed terrorists killed a shepherd in a field near the town of Nir Yitzhak.
   • June 23: Two Israelis were killed when their jeep hit a landmine near the village of Beit Guvrin.
   • October 4: Five Israeli border policemen and the commander of the Israeli military post at Ein Ofarim were killed during an attack on the post by terrorists.
   • October 9: Two Israeli workers were killed in an orchard of the youth village, Neve Hadassah, by terrorists.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and border police responded to these attacks with increased border patrols, fortified settlements, and retaliatory raids on villages suspected of harboring or aiding fedayeen. The most significant of these retaliatory operations was the 1953 Qibya raid, led by Ariel Sharon's Unit 101, which resulted in significant civilian casualties and drew international condemnation.