THE SIX-DAY WAR: HOW IT STARTED, HOW IT WAS FOUGHT AND HOW ISRAEL WON

 

THE SIX-DAY WAR: HOW IT STARTED, HOW IT WAS FOUGHT AND HOW ISRAEL WON

The Six-Day War of June 1967 was one of the shortest and most consequential wars of the modern Middle East. In only six days, Israel defeated the armies of Egypt, Jordan and Syria and captured enormous areas of territory, dramatically changing the political and military map of the region.

The war was fought from June 5 to June 10, 1967, although ceasefire arrangements continued to take effect into June 11. Israel captured the Sinai Peninsula and Gaza Strip from Egypt, the West Bank and East Jerusalem from Jordan, and the Golan Heights from Syria.

The victory transformed Israel from a relatively small state surrounded by hostile neighbors into a regional military power controlling territories several times larger than its pre-war territory. But the victory also created a new and much deeper conflict over land, Palestinian statehood, Jerusalem and the future of the occupied territories.

HOW THE WAR STARTED

The Six-Day War did not suddenly appear in June 1967. Tensions between Israel and its Arab neighbors had existed since the creation of Israel in 1948.

There had already been military clashes, border attacks and political confrontations. Egypt, Syria and Jordan regarded Israel as a major threat, while Israel feared that its Arab neighbors could launch a coordinated attack.

The situation became extremely dangerous in May 1967.

Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser moved Egyptian troops into the Sinai Peninsula. He also demanded the withdrawal of the United Nations Emergency Force that had been stationed there since the 1956 Suez crisis.

The UN forces subsequently left.

On May 22, Nasser announced the closure of the Straits of Tiran to Israeli shipping. Israel considered the closure extremely serious because the straits provided access to the Red Sea and the port of Eilat.

Arab military cooperation also increased. Egypt and Jordan signed a defense agreement, while Syria was already in confrontation with Israel.

Israel now faced the possibility of fighting on several fronts at the same time.

Diplomatic efforts attempted to prevent war, but the crisis continued to escalate. By early June, Israel's leaders concluded that waiting for an Arab attack could leave the country at a serious disadvantage.

JUNE 5: ISRAEL STRIKES FIRST

On the morning of June 5, 1967, Israel launched a massive surprise air attack against Egypt.

The Israeli operation was designed to destroy the Egyptian air force before it could be used against Israel.

Israeli aircraft flew extremely low and attacked Egyptian airfields. Large numbers of Egyptian aircraft were destroyed on the ground.

This was the most important military moment of the entire war.

With Egypt's air force severely damaged, Israel gained control of the skies. Israeli aircraft then attacked air forces belonging to Jordan and Syria as fighting spread.

The destruction of much of the Arab air forces gave Israeli ground troops a huge advantage.

Israel could now move tanks and infantry while using its aircraft to attack enemy positions, supply lines and military formations.

THE BATTLE FOR SINAI

While the air campaign was taking place, Israeli ground forces attacked Egyptian positions in the Sinai Peninsula and Gaza Strip.

Israel used armored formations, infantry and artillery to break through Egyptian defensive positions.

The Israeli military employed speed and maneuver rather than simply attacking Egyptian positions head-on. Israeli units attempted to move around strong defensive positions, cut communications and isolate Egyptian forces.

Egyptian troops fought in several areas, but the loss of air superiority made their position extremely difficult.

As Israeli forces advanced across the Sinai, Egyptian units began withdrawing toward the Suez Canal.

The retreat became increasingly chaotic, and large numbers of Egyptian soldiers were killed, wounded or captured.

By June 8, Israel had captured the Sinai Peninsula and Gaza Strip, reaching the eastern side of the Suez Canal.

The Egyptian front had effectively collapsed.

JORDAN ENTERS THE WAR

Israel's main military effort initially focused on Egypt, but another front opened almost immediately.

Jordan controlled the West Bank and East Jerusalem at the time.

Jordanian forces began shelling Israeli positions, including areas around Jerusalem.

Israel responded by attacking Jordanian military positions.

The fighting quickly spread across the West Bank.

Israeli forces advanced toward East Jerusalem, where some of the most symbolic fighting of the war occurred.

On June 7, Israeli forces captured the Old City of Jerusalem.

The capture of the Old City and the Western Wall became one of the most significant moments in Israeli history.

For Israel, the capture of East Jerusalem was seen as a historic military and religious achievement.

For Palestinians and much of the Arab world, however, it marked the beginning of Israeli occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Israeli forces subsequently captured most of the West Bank.

THE BATTLE FOR THE GOLAN HEIGHTS

The final major battlefield was in the north.

Syria had heavily fortified the Golan Heights, a mountainous region overlooking northern Israel.

For years, Syrian forces had used positions on the heights to shell Israeli communities below.

Israel initially concentrated on Egypt and Jordan, but after major victories on those fronts, Israeli forces turned their attention toward Syria.

On June 9, Israeli aircraft bombarded Syrian positions.

Israeli infantry and armored forces then launched an assault against the heavily defended Golan Heights.

The terrain was difficult. Syrian defensive positions were protected by mines, trenches, artillery and fortified positions.

Nevertheless, Israeli forces managed to break through.

By June 10, Syrian forces were retreating and Israel controlled most of the Golan Heights captured during the fighting.

HOW DID ISRAEL WIN SO QUICKLY?

Israel's victory was not simply the result of having more soldiers.

One of the most important factors was air superiority.

The destruction of much of Egypt's air force on the first day meant Arab ground forces were exposed to Israeli aircraft.

Israel also benefited from highly trained forces, effective intelligence, rapid mobilization and coordinated use of tanks, infantry and aircraft.

Another important factor was that the Arab armies were fighting on separate fronts rather than operating as one unified military force.

Egypt, Jordan and Syria had different commanders, military structures and strategic priorities.

Israel, meanwhile, was able to move its forces from one front to another after achieving major victories.

The result was a devastating defeat for the Arab coalition.

THE WAR ENDS

By June 10, Israel had captured the territories it would control after the war:

- Sinai Peninsula — from Egypt

- Gaza Strip — from Egypt

- West Bank — from Jordan

- East Jerusalem — from Jordan

- Golan Heights — from Syria

A United Nations-backed ceasefire brought the fighting to an end.

In only six days, Israel had dramatically expanded the territory under its control.

The war shocked the Arab world. Egypt, Syria and Jordan had suffered a major military defeat.

Egyptian President Nasser initially announced his resignation, although he returned to office after massive demonstrations supporting him.

WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THE WAR?

The consequences were enormous.

Israel now controlled the Sinai Peninsula, Gaza, the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights.

This created a completely new political situation.

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were now living under Israeli military control in territories captured from Jordan and Egypt.

The Palestinian issue became even more central to the Arab-Israeli conflict.

The war also produced a new international diplomatic challenge: what should happen to the territories captured by Israel?

In November 1967, the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 242.

The resolution called for a peaceful settlement based on two major principles: Israeli withdrawal from territories occupied in the conflict and recognition of the right of states in the region to live in peace within secure and recognized boundaries.

This became the foundation of the later "land for peace" approach to Arab-Israeli diplomacy.

THE SINAI WAS EVENTUALLY RETURNED

The territories captured in 1967 did not all remain under Israeli control permanently.

Egypt and Israel eventually signed the Camp David Accords in 1978, followed by the Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty in 1979.

As part of the peace agreement, Israel withdrew from the Sinai Peninsula, completing the withdrawal in 1982.

The Gaza Strip and West Bank, however, remained central to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Israel also formally applied its law and administration to East Jerusalem in 1967, a move not recognized internationally as changing the city's status. Israel later extended its law to the Golan Heights in 1981, a move also not recognized internationally.

WHY THE SIX-DAY WAR STILL MATTERS

The Six-Day War lasted less than a week, but its consequences have lasted for decades.

It changed Israel's borders, transformed the balance of power in the Middle East and placed millions of people and disputed territories at the center of an unresolved conflict.

The war also demonstrated the importance of air power, intelligence, mobility and rapid military decision-making.

Most importantly, however, the Six-Day War did not end the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Instead, it created a new chapter.

The question of Jerusalem, the West Bank, Gaza, the Golan Heights, Palestinian self-determination and Israel's security all became central issues in the decades that followed.

More than half a century later, the events of those six days in June 1967 remain among the most important events for understanding the modern Middle East.

The Six-Day War was short—but its consequences reshaped the region and continue to influence Middle Eastern politics to this day.

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