The Six Day War
Part One: June 5 - 7

The Six Day War was one of the most decisive wars in modern times. It featured air attacks, naval vessels, infantry, artillery, tanks and paratroopers in one intense conflict which lasted less than a week.

Faced with an imminent Arab attack, the Israeli military leaders and government employed a superb strategy. Just after 8:45am on June 5 they launched a pre-emptive airstrike on the Arab forces.

Israeli 'Mirage' fighter jets returning from targets in Egypt

This air attack, codenamed 'Moked' was designed to shatter the Egyptian air force while their aircraft were still grounded. Within three hours most of the Egyptian planes and air bases were destroyed. The Israeli fighters operated continuously with a turn-around time to re-fuel and re-arm of only seven minutes.

In the first day the Arabs lost over 400 planes; the Israelis lost 19. These airstrikes ensured that the Israelis had air superiority for the rest of the war.

Soon after, Israeli ground forces moved into the Sinai Peninsula and Gaza Strip where they engaged Egyptian units.

Map showing Arab attack patterns against Israel

War was not far behind on Israel's eastern front. Israel had sent a message to King Hussein of Jordan asking him to stay out of the conflict. But on the morning of the 5th, Nasser called Hussein and encouraged him to fight. He reportedly told Hussein that Egypt had been victorious in the morning's fighting - an illusion the Egyptian public believed for several days.

At 11:00am on June 5 Jordanian troops attacked the Israeli half of Jerusalem with mortars and gunfire. With nearly total control of the skies, Israeli jets and bombers were free to support the tanks and troops on the ground. Because of this Arab reinforcements were prevented from reaching Jerusalem and within 24 hours the Israelis had taken much of the city from the Jordanians.

Israeli troops fighting in Jerusalem. Note the Dome of the Rock on the left.

On the third day of the war, June 7, Jordanian forces were pushed from the West Bank across the River Jordan. Israel had annexed all of the West Bank and Jerusalem, opening up the old city to Jews for the first time in 2000 years. A UN arranged cease-fire between Israel and Jordan went into effect that evening.