diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/BaseRowDelta.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/BaseRowDelta.java
index b819d03dd5f8..92386ee42159 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/BaseRowDelta.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/BaseRowDelta.java
@@ -48,6 +48,10 @@ protected BaseRowDelta self() {
 
   @Override
   protected String operation() {
+    if (addsDataFiles() && !addsDeleteFiles() && !deletesDataFiles()) {
+      return DataOperations.APPEND;
+    }
+
     if (addsDeleteFiles() && !addsDataFiles()) {
       return DataOperations.DELETE;
     }
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/apache/iceberg/TestRowDelta.java b/core/src/test/java/org/apache/iceberg/TestRowDelta.java
index 4d1d11081d4b..397e1ac56dc4 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/apache/iceberg/TestRowDelta.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/apache/iceberg/TestRowDelta.java
@@ -76,6 +76,25 @@ public void addOnlyDeleteFilesProducesDeleteOperation() {
     assertThat(snap.deleteManifests(table.io())).hasSize(1);
   }
 
+  @TestTemplate
+  public void addOnlyDataFilesProducesAppendOperation() {
+    SnapshotUpdate<?> rowDelta = table.newRowDelta().addRows(FILE_A).addRows(FILE_B);
+
+    commit(table, rowDelta, branch);
+    Snapshot snap = latestSnapshot(table, branch);
+    assertThat(snap.sequenceNumber()).isEqualTo(1);
+    assertThat(snap.operation()).isEqualTo(DataOperations.APPEND);
+    assertThat(snap.dataManifests(table.io())).hasSize(1);
+
+    validateManifest(
+        snap.dataManifests(table.io()).get(0),
+        dataSeqs(1L, 1L),
+        fileSeqs(1L, 1L),
+        ids(snap.snapshotId(), snap.snapshotId()),
+        files(FILE_A, FILE_B),
+        statuses(Status.ADDED, Status.ADDED));
+  }
+
   @TestTemplate
   public void testAddRemoveRows() {
     SnapshotUpdate<?> rowDelta =
@@ -108,6 +127,29 @@ public void testAddRemoveRows() {
         statuses(Status.ADDED, Status.ADDED));
   }
 
+  @TestTemplate
+  public void testAddRowsRemoveDataFile() {
+    table.newRowDelta().addRows(FILE_A).commit();
+    SnapshotUpdate<?> rowDelta = table.newRowDelta().addRows(FILE_B).removeRows(FILE_A);
+
+    commit(table, rowDelta, branch);
+    Snapshot snap = latestSnapshot(table, branch);
+    assertThat(snap.sequenceNumber()).isEqualTo(2);
+    assertThat(table.ops().current().lastSequenceNumber()).isEqualTo(2);
+    assertThat(snap.operation())
+        .as("Delta commit should use operation 'overwrite'")
+        .isEqualTo(DataOperations.OVERWRITE);
+    assertThat(snap.dataManifests(table.io())).hasSize(2);
+
+    validateManifest(
+        snap.dataManifests(table.io()).get(0),
+        dataSeqs(2L),
+        fileSeqs(2L),
+        ids(snap.snapshotId()),
+        files(FILE_B),
+        statuses(Status.ADDED));
+  }
+
   @TestTemplate
   public void testValidateDataFilesExistDefaults() {
     SnapshotUpdate<?> rowDelta1 = table.newAppend().appendFile(FILE_A).appendFile(FILE_B);
@@ -599,6 +641,7 @@ public void testOverwriteWithRemoveRows() {
 
     long deltaSnapshotId = latestSnapshot(table, branch).snapshotId();
     assertThat(latestSnapshot(table, branch).sequenceNumber()).isEqualTo(1);
+    assertThat(latestSnapshot(table, branch).operation()).isEqualTo(DataOperations.OVERWRITE);
     assertThat(table.ops().current().lastSequenceNumber()).isEqualTo(1);
 
     // overwriting by a filter will also remove delete files that match because all matching data
@@ -642,6 +685,7 @@ public void testReplacePartitionsWithRemoveRows() {
 
     long deltaSnapshotId = latestSnapshot(table, branch).snapshotId();
     assertThat(latestSnapshot(table, branch).sequenceNumber()).isEqualTo(1);
+    assertThat(latestSnapshot(table, branch).operation()).isEqualTo(DataOperations.OVERWRITE);
     assertThat(table.ops().current().lastSequenceNumber()).isEqualTo(1);
 
     // overwriting the partition will also remove delete files that match because all matching data
@@ -688,6 +732,7 @@ public void testDeleteByExpressionWithRemoveRows() {
         branch);
 
     assertThat(latestSnapshot(table, branch).sequenceNumber()).isEqualTo(1);
+    assertThat(latestSnapshot(table, branch).operation()).isEqualTo(DataOperations.OVERWRITE);
     assertThat(table.ops().current().lastSequenceNumber()).isEqualTo(1);
 
     // deleting with a filter will also remove delete files that match because all matching data
@@ -726,6 +771,7 @@ public void testDeleteDataFileWithRemoveRows() {
 
     long deltaSnapshotId = latestSnapshot(table, branch).snapshotId();
     assertThat(latestSnapshot(table, branch).sequenceNumber()).isEqualTo(1);
+    assertThat(latestSnapshot(table, branch).operation()).isEqualTo(DataOperations.OVERWRITE);
     assertThat(table.ops().current().lastSequenceNumber()).isEqualTo(1);
 
     // deleting a specific data file will not affect a delete file in v2 or less
@@ -786,6 +832,7 @@ public void testFastAppendDoesNotRemoveStaleDeleteFiles() {
 
     long deltaSnapshotId = latestSnapshot(table, branch).snapshotId();
     assertThat(latestSnapshot(table, branch).sequenceNumber()).isEqualTo(1);
+    assertThat(latestSnapshot(table, branch).operation()).isEqualTo(DataOperations.OVERWRITE);
     assertThat(table.ops().current().lastSequenceNumber()).isEqualTo(1);
 
     // deleting a specific data file will not affect a delete file