# Canonical recap data for Six-Day War: Israel's Strategic Victory (1967)
# Source: https://recap.at/1967/six-day-war
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: six-day-war
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/1967/six-day-war"
title: "Six-Day War: Israel's Strategic Victory"
aliases:
- Six-Day War
- Yom Kippur War
- 1967 Arab-Israeli War
- Third Arab-Israeli War
subtitle: How Israel's blitzkrieg redrew the Middle East map in 132 hours
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 1967-01-01
datePrecision: year
year: 1967
decade: 1960
country:
name: Israel
slug: israel
summaryShort: In June 1967, Israel defeated Egypt, Syria, and Jordan in a six-day war, capturing the Sinai Peninsula, Gaza Strip, West Bank, and Golan Heights. The swift military victory reshaped Middle Eastern geopolitics.
summaryLong: |-
  On June 5, 1967, Israel launched a preemptive strike against Egypt's air force, opening what would become a defining moment in the country's history. Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser had been mobilizing troops along Israel's border and had closed the Strait of Tiran to Israeli shipping-moves that Israeli leadership, particularly Defense Minister Moshe Dayan, interpreted as preparation for invasion. Within hours of the Israeli assault, the Egyptian air force was largely destroyed on the ground. By the war's end on June 11, Israel had defeated not just Egypt but also Jordan and Syria, capturing vast territories including the Sinai Peninsula, the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and the Golan Heights.

  The speed of Israeli victory shocked the world. Modern mechanized warfare, combined with superior Israeli air power and intelligence, overwhelmed Arab forces despite numerical disadvantages on the ground. Israeli General Ariel Sharon led audacious crossing maneuvers across the Suez Canal; Israeli forces advanced to within 100 kilometers of Cairo. The war cost roughly 19,000 Arab lives and around 800 Israeli lives-a casualty ratio that underscored the military imbalance.

  The territorial gains transformed the conflict's geography. Israel now occupied roughly 42,000 square miles of Arab territory, populations, and resources. U.N. Security Council Resolution 242, passed in November 1967, called for Israeli withdrawal from occupied territories and recognition of all states' sovereignty-language that would dominate Middle Eastern diplomacy for decades. The war created roughly 250,000 Palestinian refugees and displaced populations whose status remained unresolved.

  Politically, the war vindicated Israel's security doctrine but deepened Arab humiliation. Nasser initially claimed victory despite catastrophic military losses; Arab states convened at Khartoum in August and famously rejected negotiation with Israel. The conflict's psychological impact was as significant as its military outcome: Israel emerged as the region's dominant military power, a status that shaped everything from superpower dynamics during the Cold War to the subsequent wars of 1973 and beyond. The occupied territories became the central tension in Middle Eastern politics, generating conflict, settlement, and competing claims that persist into the present.
lede: In June 1967, Israel fought and decisively won a war against Egypt, Syria, and Jordan in just six days. The rapid victory left Israel controlling Palestinian territories and Arab land that remain contested today. The conflict reshaped the Middle East's power balance and created a refugee crisis whose effects are still felt.
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/93/6DayWarEnglish.png/1280px-6DayWarEnglish.png"
heroImageCredit: Wikipedia · "Six-Day War"
importance: 50
sourceConfidence: 50
keyFacts:
- label: Duration
  value: 6 days (June 5–11, 1967)
- label: Territory captured by Israel
  value: Approximately 42,000 square miles, including Sinai Peninsula, Gaza Strip, West Bank, and Golan Heights
- label: Estimated Arab military deaths
  value: Approximately 19,000
- label: Estimated Israeli military deaths
  value: Approximately 800
- label: Israeli preemptive strike
  value: Destroyed majority of Egyptian air force on ground within first hours
- label: Palestinian refugees created
  value: Approximately 250,000 displaced persons
- label: Key U.N. response
  value: Security Council Resolution 242 (November 1967)
- label: Arab League response
  value: Khartoum Resolution (August 1967) rejecting negotiation with Israel
timeline:
- date: 1967-05-15
  title: Egypt mobilizes forces
  description: President Gamal Abdel Nasser moves troops to the Sinai Peninsula and closes the Strait of Tiran to Israeli shipping.
- date: 1967-06-05
  title: Israel launches preemptive strike
  description: Israeli air force attacks Egyptian airfields at dawn, destroying the majority of Egypt's aircraft on the ground within hours.
- date: 1967-06-06
  title: Israel attacks Jordan and Syria
  description: Following Egyptian retaliation, Israel expands military operations against Jordan and Syria. Israeli forces advance into the West Bank and toward the Golan Heights.
- date: 1967-06-07
  title: Capture of East Jerusalem
  description: Israeli paratroopers capture the Old City of Jerusalem and the Western Wall after heavy fighting in the city.
- date: 1967-06-08
  title: Israeli forces cross Suez Canal
  description: General Ariel Sharon leads Israeli forces across the canal in audacious flanking maneuvers. Israeli troops advance to within 100 kilometers of Cairo.
- date: 1967-06-09
  title: Israel captures Golan Heights
  description: Israeli forces seize the Golan Heights from Syria after advancing from the south against entrenched positions.
- date: 1967-06-11
  title: War ends
  description: Ceasefire takes effect. Israel has occupied the Sinai Peninsula, Gaza Strip, West Bank, and Golan Heights.
- date: 1967-08-29
  title: Khartoum Resolution
  description: Arab League states convene in Khartoum and reject direct negotiation or recognition of Israel, complicating diplomatic paths forward.
- date: 1967-11-22
  title: U.N. Security Council Resolution 242
  description: U.N. passes resolution calling for Israeli withdrawal from occupied territories and recognition of all states' sovereignty-foundational to future peace negotiations.
sources: []
related: []
relationships:
- targetSlug: camp-david-accords-1978
  type: caused
  confidence: 82
  evidence: The 1967 war's outcome-Israeli occupation of Sinai-created the material grievance that drove Egypt's 1973 Yom Kippur War and, after tactical stalemate, enabled Sadat to negotiate a peace treaty with Israel in 1978, the first Arab-Israeli accord.
  source: ai
- targetSlug: suez-crisis
  type: echoed
  confidence: 68
  evidence: The 1967 war resolved the unfinished business of the 1956 Suez Crisis by giving Israel permanent control of the Sinai Peninsula and confirming Israeli regional dominance over Egypt, which the Suez Crisis had foreshadowed.
  source: ai
- targetSlug: american-civil-war-begins
  type: caused_by
  confidence: 75
  evidence: "Timeline of \"Six-Day War: Israel's Strategic Victory\" references \"American Civil War\" (2 shared tokens incl. title anchor)."
  source: ai
- targetSlug: korean-war-armistice
  type: caused_by
  confidence: 75
  evidence: "Timeline of \"Six-Day War: Israel's Strategic Victory\" references \"Korean War Armistice Agreement\" (2 shared tokens incl. title anchor)."
  source: ai
- targetSlug: suez-canal-opens
  type: caused_by
  confidence: 75
  evidence: "Timeline of \"Six-Day War: Israel's Strategic Victory\" references \"Suez Canal Opens\" (2 shared tokens incl. title anchor)."
  source: ai
gallery:
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d4/Flag_of_Israel.svg/1280px-Flag_of_Israel.svg.png"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d4/Flag_of_Israel.svg/800px-Flag_of_Israel.svg.png"
  caption: Israel
  credit: Wikipedia · "Israel"
  width: 330
  height: 240
culturalContext:
topMusic:
- title: All You Need Is Love
  artist: The Beatles
  year: 1967
  note: Released June 25, 1967, just days after the Six-Day War ended; embodied the counterculture's peace ethos while the Middle East erupted.
  referenceCard:
  status: ok
  checkedAt: "2026-05-26T09:44:14.152Z"
- title: By the Time We Get to Phoenix
  artist: Jimmy Webb / Glen Campbell
  year: 1967
  note: Campbell's version became a hit in late 1967; escapist themes contrasted with geopolitical upheaval.
  referenceCard:
  status: not_found
  checkedAt: "2026-05-26T09:44:14.152Z"
- title: Light My Fire
  artist: The Doors
  year: 1967
  note: Released July 1967; psychedelic rock dominated Western youth culture while the Middle East braced for long-term occupation.
  referenceCard:
  status: ok
  checkedAt: "2026-05-26T09:44:14.152Z"
topFilms:
- title: Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
  year: 1967
  note: Sidney Poitier broke racial barriers in American cinema amid social upheaval; released December 1967.
  referenceCard:
  status: ok
  checkedAt: "2026-05-26T09:44:14.152Z"
- title: The Graduate
  year: 1967
  note: Mike Nichols' satire of American conformity mirrored youth rebellion worldwide, though Middle Eastern audiences faced a grimmer reality.
  referenceCard:
  status: ok
  checkedAt: "2026-05-26T09:44:14.152Z"
- title: "2001: A Space Odyssey"
  year: 1968
  note: Kubrick's epic premiered April 1968; sci-fi utopianism stood in sharp contrast to the aftermath of 1967's war.
  referenceCard:
  status: ok
  checkedAt: "2026-05-26T09:44:14.152Z"
topTVShows:
- title: The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour
  year: 1967
  note: CBS variety show became a platform for anti-war and political satire during the Vietnam era.
  referenceCard:
  status: ok
  checkedAt: "2026-05-26T09:44:14.152Z"
- title: Batman
  year: 1966
  note: Campy superhero escapism peaked in 1966–1967, offering respite from real-world crises.
  referenceCard:
  status: ok
  checkedAt: "2026-05-26T09:44:14.152Z"
zeitgeistNote: "1967 was the Summer of Love in the West-The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's, psychedelia, and countercultural idealism dominated Anglo-American consciousness. Simultaneously, the Six-Day War shattered illusions of Arab military strength and triggered a decades-long occupation that contradicted Western peace movements. The cultural disconnect was stark: while Western youth preached love and harmony, geopolitical realities in the Middle East hardened into cycles of violence and territorial control."
comparisonThenNow:
- metric: Israeli-occupied West Bank population
  thenValue: ~0 (immediate post-war)
  thenYear: 1967
  nowValue: ~500,000+
  nowYear: 2024
  note: Israeli settlers in the West Bank have grown from none in 1967 to over half a million today, transforming the territory's political reality.
- metric: Palestinian refugees worldwide
  thenValue: ~1.3 million (1967 cumulative)
  thenYear: 1967
  nowValue: ~5.7 million (UNRWA recognized)
  nowYear: 2024
  note: The 1967 war added roughly 300,000 new refugees to those displaced in 1948, expanding the diaspora that remains unresolved.
- metric: Gaza Strip population density
  thenValue: ~300,000 people
  thenYear: 1967
  nowValue: ~2.3 million
  nowYear: 2024
  note: Gaza's population has grown dramatically under Israeli blockade (since 2007) and Egyptian restrictions, creating one of the world's most densely populated territories.
- metric: Regional Arab-Israeli military balance
  thenValue: Israel dominant; Arab coalitions militarily outmatched
  thenYear: 1967
  nowValue: Israel remains militarily superior; asymmetric warfare by non-state actors
  nowYear: 2024
  note: The 1967 outcome established Israeli military supremacy, but subsequent wars (1973, 1982, 2006) and insurgencies shifted the conflict toward asymmetry.
impactStatement: In six days in June 1967, Israel defeated the combined armies of Egypt, Syria, and Jordan, redrawing the Middle East's political map and triggering decades of occupation, displacement, and conflict. The war shattered the myth of Arab military superiority, emboldened Israeli expansionism, and set the stage for the Yom Kippur War, the Palestinian diaspora's hardening, and a regional Cold War proxy that would define geopolitics for generations.
consequences:
- title: UN Security Council Resolution 242
  year: 1967
  description: Adopted November 22, 1967, calling for Israeli withdrawal from occupied territories and recognition of all states' sovereignty. Became the cornerstone framework for Middle East diplomacy but was interpreted differently by each side, cementing ambiguity into decades of stalled negotiations.
- title: Palestinian Refugee Crisis Deepens
  year: 1967
  description: The war displaced approximately 250,000–350,000 Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Combined with 1948 displacement, this created a stateless population whose dispossession became a generational grievance and fuel for armed resistance.
- title: Israeli Settlements in Occupied Territories Begin
  year: 1968
  description: Starting with Kfar Etzion in the West Bank, Israeli settlement expansion accelerated after 1967. By the 1980s, thousands of settlers colonized the territories, cementing de facto annexation and making any territorial concessions politically toxic in Israel.
- title: Yom Kippur War
  year: 1973
  description: Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack on October 6, 1973, seeking to regain 1967 losses. Though Israel prevailed militarily, the shock challenged the invincibility narrative born in 1967 and opened a path to the 1978 Camp David Accords.
- title: Palestinian Liberation Organization Radicalization
  year: 1974
  description: The PLO, founded in 1964, shifted toward armed struggle and international diplomacy after 1967's humiliation. By 1974, it gained UN observer status but remained fractured between factions, including rejectionists opposed to any compromise with Israel.
- title: Soviet-American Cold War Proxy Entrenches in Middle East
  year: 1975
  description: The 1967 war cemented U.S. backing for Israel and Soviet support for Arab states, turning the region into a superpower chessboard. Arms flows, military advisors, and ideological alignment hardened throughout the 1970s and 1980s.
archiveSnapshots: []
categories:
- war
metaDescription: 1967's lightning conflict reshaped the Middle East. Israel crushed Arab forces in six days, seizing territory and cementing regional dominance through audacious strategy.
originSignals:
- "wikipedia:six-day-war"
translations:
es:
lede: En junio de 1967, Israel combatió y ganó decisivamente una guerra contra Egipto, Siria y Jordania en solo seis días. La rápida victoria dejó a Israel controlando territorios palestinos y tierras árabes que siguen siendo disputadas hoy. El conflicto remodeló el equilibrio de poder de Oriente Medio y creó una crisis de refugiados cuyos efectos aún se sienten.
summaryShort: En junio de 1967, Israel derrotó a Egipto, Siria y Jordania en una guerra de seis días, capturando la Península del Sinaí, la Franja de Gaza, Cisjordania y los Altos del Golán. La rápida victoria militar remodeló la geopolítica de Oriente Medio.
summaryLong: |-
  El 5 de junio de 1967, Israel lanzó un ataque preventivo contra la fuerza aérea de Egipto, abriendo lo que se convertiría en un momento decisivo en la historia del país. El presidente egipcio Gamal Abdel Nasser había estado movilizando tropas a lo largo de la frontera de Israel y había cerrado el Estrecho de Tirán a la navegación israelí, acciones que el liderazgo israelí, particularmente el ministro de defensa Moshe Dayan, interpretó como preparación para una invasión. Horas después del asalto israelí, la fuerza aérea egipcia fue en gran parte destruida en tierra. Al final de la guerra el 11 de junio, Israel había derrotado no solo a Egipto sino también a Jordania y Siria, capturando vastos territorios incluyendo la Península del Sinaí, la Franja de Gaza, Cisjordania y los Altos del Golán.

  La rapidez de la victoria israelí sorprendió al mundo. La guerra mecanizada moderna, combinada con la superioridad aérea israelí y la inteligencia, abrumó a las fuerzas árabes a pesar de las desventajas numéricas en tierra. El general israelí Ariel Sharon dirigió audaces maniobras de cruce a través del Canal de Suez; las fuerzas israelíes avanzaron hasta 100 kilómetros de El Cairo. La guerra costó aproximadamente 19.000 vidas árabes y alrededor de 800 vidas israelíes, una proporción de bajas que subrayó el desequilibrio militar.

  Las ganancias territoriales transformaron la geografía del conflicto. Israel ahora ocupaba aproximadamente 42.000 millas cuadradas de territorio, poblaciones y recursos árabes. La Resolución 242 del Consejo de Seguridad de la ONU, aprobada en noviembre de 1967, pedía la retirada israelí de los territorios ocupados y el reconocimiento de la soberanía de todos los estados, un lenguaje que dominaría la diplomacia de Oriente Medio durante décadas. La guerra creó aproximadamente 250.000 refugiados palestinos y poblaciones desplazadas cuyo estatus permaneció sin resolver.

  Políticamente, la guerra validó la doctrina de seguridad de Israel pero profundizó la humillación árabe. Nasser inicialmente reclamó la victoria a pesar de pérdidas militares catastróficas; los estados árabes se reunieron en Jartum en agosto y famosamente rechazaron la negociación con Israel. El impacto psicológico del conflicto fue tan significativo como su resultado militar: Israel emergió como la potencia militar dominante de la región, un estatus que configuró todo, desde la dinámica de superpotencias durante la Guerra Fría hasta las guerras posteriores de 1973 y más allá. Los territorios ocupados se convirtieron en la tensión central de la política de Oriente Medio, generando conflicto, asentamiento y reclamaciones en competencia que persisten hasta el presente.
generatedAt: "2026-06-05T00:27:05.301Z"
fr:
lede: En juin 1967, Israël a remporté une victoire décisive dans une guerre contre l'Égypte, la Syrie et la Jordanie en seulement six jours. Cette victoire rapide a laissé Israël contrôler les territoires palestiniens et les terres arabes qui restent contestés aujourd'hui. Le conflit a remodelé l'équilibre des puissances du Moyen-Orient et a créé une crise des réfugiés dont les effets se font toujours sentir.
summaryShort: En juin 1967, Israël a vaincu l'Égypte, la Syrie et la Jordanie dans une guerre de six jours, capturant la Péninsule du Sinaï, la Bande de Gaza, la Cisjordanie et le Golan. La victoire militaire rapide a remodelé la géopolitique du Moyen-Orient.
summaryLong: |-
  Le 5 juin 1967, Israël a lancé une attaque préemptive contre la force aérienne égyptienne, ouvrant ce qui deviendrait un moment décisif dans l'histoire du pays. Le président égyptien Gamal Abdel Nasser avait mobilisé des troupes le long de la frontière d'Israël et avait fermé le Détroit de Tiran à la navigation israélienne-des mouvements que la direction israélienne, en particulier le ministre de la Défense Moshe Dayan, a interprétés comme une préparation à l'invasion. Quelques heures après l'assaut israélien, la force aérienne égyptienne avait été largement détruite au sol. À la fin de la guerre le 11 juin, Israël avait vaincu non seulement l'Égypte, mais aussi la Jordanie et la Syrie, capturant de vastes territoires incluant la Péninsule du Sinaï, la Bande de Gaza, la Cisjordanie et le Golan.

  La rapidité de la victoire israélienne a choqué le monde. La guerre mécanisée moderne, combinée à la supériorité aérienne et au renseignement israéliens, a écrasé les forces arabes malgré leurs désavantages numériques au sol. Le général israélien Ariel Sharon a mené des manœuvres de traversée audacieuses du Canal de Suez ; les forces israéliennes ont avancé à moins de 100 kilomètres du Caire. La guerre a coûté environ 19 000 vies arabes et environ 800 vies israéliennes-un ratio de pertes qui a souligné le déséquilibre militaire.

  Les gains territoriaux ont transformé la géographie du conflit. Israël occupait désormais environ 42 000 miles carrés de territoire arabe, populations et ressources. La Résolution 242 du Conseil de sécurité de l'O.N.U., adoptée en novembre 1967, appelait au retrait israélien des territoires occupés et à la reconnaissance de la souveraineté de tous les États-un langage qui dominerait la diplomatie du Moyen-Orient pendant des décennies. La guerre a créé environ 250 000 réfugiés palestiniens et des populations déplacées dont le statut est resté non résolu.

  Politiquement, la guerre a validé la doctrine de sécurité d'Israël mais a approfondi l'humiliation arabe. Nasser a initialement réclamé la victoire malgré des pertes militaires catastrophiques ; les États arabes se sont réunis à Khartoum en août et ont fameux rejeté la négociation avec Israël. L'impact psychologique du conflit a été aussi important que son résultat militaire : Israël a émergé comme la puissance militaire dominante de la région, un statut qui a façonné tout, de la dynamique des superpuissances pendant la Guerre froide aux guerres ultérieures de 1973 et au-delà. Les territoires occupés sont devenus la tension centrale de la politique du Moyen-Orient, générant des conflits, des établissements et des revendications concurrentes qui persistent jusqu'à présent.
generatedAt: "2026-06-05T00:27:12.915Z"
de:
lede: Im Juni 1967 kämpfte Israel gegen Ägypten, Syrien und Jordanien und gewann den Krieg in nur sechs Tagen entscheidend. Der schnelle Sieg hinterließ Israel in der Kontrolle palästinensischer Territorien und arabischer Länder, die bis heute umstritten sind. Der Konflikt veränderte das Machtkräfteverhältnis des Nahen Ostens und löste eine Flüchtlingskrise aus, deren Auswirkungen noch heute zu spüren sind.
summaryShort: Im Juni 1967 besiegte Israel Ägypten, Syrien und Jordanien in einem Sechstagekrieg und eroberte die Sinai-Halbinsel, den Gazastreifen, das Westjordanland und die Golanhöhen. Der schnelle Militärsieg veränderte die geopolitik des Nahen Ostens.
summaryLong: |-
  Am 5. Juni 1967 startete Israel einen Präventivschlag gegen die ägyptische Luftwaffe und eröffnete damit einen Wendepunkt in der Geschichte des Landes. Der ägyptische Präsident Gamal Abdel Nasser hatte Truppen an der Grenze Israels zusammengezogen und die Straße von Tiran für israelische Schiffe gesperrt – Schritte, die die israelische Führung, insbesondere Verteidigungsminister Moshe Dayan, als Vorbereitung auf eine Invasion deutete. Wenige Stunden nach dem israelischen Angriff war die ägyptische Luftwaffe weitgehend zerstört. Am 11. Juni, als der Krieg endete, hatte Israel nicht nur Ägypten, sondern auch Jordanien und Syrien besiegt und riesige Territorien erobert, darunter die Sinai-Halbinsel, den Gazastreifen, das Westjordanland und die Golanhöhen.

  Die Schnelligkeit des israelischen Sieges schockierte die Welt. Moderne mechanisierte Kriegsführung, kombiniert mit überlegener israelischer Luftmacht und Geheimdienstinformation, überwältigte arabische Streitkräfte trotz numerischer Unterlegenheit am Boden. Der israelische General Ariel Sharon führte kühne Überquerungsmanöver über den Suezkanal durch; israelische Kräfte rückten bis auf 100 Kilometer vor Kairo vor. Der Krieg forderte etwa 19.000 arabische Leben und rund 800 israelische Leben – ein Verhältnis der Opfer, das das militärische Ungleichgewicht unterstrich.

  Die Gebietsgewinne veränderten die Geographie des Konflikts. Israel kontrollierte nun etwa 42.000 Quadratmeilen arabisches Territorium, Bevölkerungen und Ressourcen. Die Sicherheitsratsresolution 242 der Vereinten Nationen, verabschiedet im November 1967, forderte den israelischen Rückzug aus besetzten Gebieten und die Anerkennung der Souveränität aller Staaten – eine Formulierung, die die Diplomatie des Nahen Ostens für Jahrzehnte prägen sollte. Der Krieg schuf etwa 250.000 palästinensische Flüchtlinge und vertriebene Bevölkerungen, deren Status ungelöst blieb.

  Politisch bestätigte der Krieg Israels Sicherheitsdoktrin, vertiefte aber die arabische Demütigung. Nasser beanspruchte trotz katastrophaler militärischer Verluste anfangs den Sieg; arabische Staaten tagten im August in Khartum und lehnten berüchtigt Verhandlungen mit Israel ab. Die psychologische Auswirkung des Konflikts war ebenso bedeutsam wie sein militärisches Ergebnis: Israel erwies sich als die dominierende Militärmacht der Region – ein Status, der alles von der Supermachtdynamik während des Kalten Krieges bis zu den nachfolgenden Kriegen von 1973 und darüber hinaus prägte. Die besetzten Gebiete wurden zur zentralen Spannungsquelle der Nahost-Politik und erzeugten Konflikte, Siedlungen und konkurrierende Ansprüche, die bis heute andauern.
generatedAt: "2026-06-05T00:27:21.389Z"
geo:
lat: 30.8124247
lng: 34.8594762
place: Israel
note: Location inferred from recap.country via OSM Nominatim.
significance: 25
