The Six-Day War, or the Third Arab–Israeli War, took place from 5 to 10 June 1967 between Israel and an Arab coalition primarily consisting of Egypt, Syria, and Jordan. This conflict emerged from escalating tensions and poor relations rooted in the 1949 Armistice Agreements and the 1956 Suez Crisis. The immediate trigger was Egypt's closure of the Straits of Tiran to Israeli shipping in May 1967, a move Israel had previously declared as a casus belli. Egypt also mobilized its military along the Israeli border[199] and demanded the withdrawal of the United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF).[200]
Conquest of Sinai 5-6 June 1967 during the Six Day War. © Department of History, U.S. Military Academy
Jordan Salient 5-7 June 1967 during the Six Day War. © Department of History, U.S. Military Academy
Conquest of Sinai 7-8 June 1967 during the Six Day War. © Department of History, U.S. Military Academy
Battle of Golan Heights 9-10 June 1967 during the Six Day War. © Department of History, U.S. Military Academy
Israel launched preemptive airstrikes against Egyptian airfields on 5 June 1967,[201] achieving air supremacy by destroying most of Egypt's aerial military assets. This was followed by a ground offensive into Egypt's Sinai Peninsula and the Gaza Strip. Egypt, caught off guard, soon evacuated the Sinai Peninsula, leading to Israeli occupation of the entire region.[202] Jordan, allied with Egypt, engaged in limited attacks against Israeli forces. Syria entered the conflict on the fifth day with shelling in the north. The conflict concluded with ceasefires between Egypt and Jordan on 8 June, Syria on 9 June, and a formal ceasefire with Israel on 11 June. The war resulted in over 20,000 Arab fatalities and fewer than 1,000 Israeli fatalities.
By the end of hostilities, Israel had captured significant territories: the Golan Heights from Syria, the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) from Jordan, and the Sinai Peninsula and Gaza Strip from Egypt. The displacement of civilian populations as a result of the Six-Day War would have long-term consequences, as around 280,000 to 325,000 Palestinians and 100,000 Syrians fled or were expelled from the West Bank[203] and the Golan Heights, respectively.[204] Egyptian President Nasser resigned but was later reinstated amid widespread protests in Egypt. The war's aftermath saw the closure of the Suez Canal until 1975, contributing to the energy and oil crises of the 1970s due to the impact on Middle Eastern oil deliveries to Europe.
History of Israel
References
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