During the Great Revolt in 1936–1939, the connection between Tel Aviv and the Jaffa port was partially severed by disruption in the Old City. This had two primary effects: the British retaliated using massive gelignite charges to destroy at least 220 buildings, which left over 6000 Arabs homeless, and encouraged the building of a small Jewish port on the Yarkon estuary to the north of Tel Aviv to reduce reliance on Arab Jaffa.