How the Six-Day War of 1967 transformed the Middle East

Roots of the conflict

The Six-Day War was the culmination of escalating tensions between Israel and its Arab neighbours, primarily Egypt, Jordan, and Syria, with whom the Zionist state shares its borders.

The genesis of these tensions lay in the very establishment of Israel, in which thousands of Palestinian Arabs were killed and displaced, and which led to a massive refugee crisis. Egypt, under President Gamal Abdel Nasser, had a particularly frosty relationship with Israel due to territorial and water disputes.

The years leading up to the war saw a military buildup in Israel and the surrounding Arab states along Cold War lines — Israel was supported by the West, specifically the US, whereas the Arab states received military support from the Soviet Union and its allies.

Outbreak of the war

The immediate trigger for the Six-Day War was Egypt’s naval blockade of the Straits of Tiran in May 1967. The straits are the pathway into the Israeli port of Elath, and Egypt’s move dealt a major blow to Israeli commerce. Along with the mobilisation of Egyptian forces in the Sinai Peninsula, the blockade provided Israel with a justification for pre-emptive action.

On June 5, Israel launched a military strike against Egyptian airfields . It swiftly gained air superiority, and effectively neutralised the Egyptian Air Force. It also launched a ground operation into Sinai and the Egypt-occupied Gaza strip. In response, Jordan and Syria attacked Israel from the north and south.

Israel romped to a swift victory in the war. In under a week, it had wrested control of the Sinai Peninsula and Gaza from Egypt, the Golan Heights from Syria, and the West Bank and East Jerusalem from Jordan.

A region transformed

The defeat dealt a humiliating blow to the Arabs, established Israel’s geopolitical supremacy in the region, and saw it taking control of significant strategic territory. The 1973 Yom Kippur War (which Israel again won) can be seen as a direct attempt to undo the Arab losses of the Six-Day War.

The war contributed to the rise of Palestinian nationalism, and led to the emergence of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as a major player. Ongoing tensions in the region can also be traced back to the war, and Israel’s subsequent occupation of East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza.

The fate of the Palestinian refugees displaced during the Six-Day War remains unresolved till date.

The author is an intern with The Indian Express.