Editing Six-Day War (section)

==== The West Bank ====
Israel was to gain almost total control of the West Bank by the evening of 7 June,{{Sfnp|Mutawi|2002|p=138}} and began its [[military occupation]] of the West Bank on that day, issuing a military order, the "Proclamation Regarding Law and Administration (The West Bank Area) (No. 2)—1967", which established the military government in the West Bank and granted the commander of the area full legislative, executive, and judicial power.<ref name="Weill2014">{{citation|author=Sharon Weill|title=The Role of National Courts in Applying International Humanitarian Law|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bDnnAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA19|date=February 2014|publisher=OUP Oxford|isbn=978-0-19-968542-4|page=19|access-date=30 November 2018|archive-date=17 May 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240517180340/https://books.google.com/books?id=bDnnAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA19#v=onepage&q&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=weill2007 /> Jordan had realised that it had no hope of defense as early as the morning of 6 June, just a day after the conflict had begun.{{Sfnp|Mutawi|2002|pp=138-139}} At Nasser's request, Egypt's [[Abdul Munim Riad]] sent a situation update at midday on 6 June:{{Sfnp|Mutawi|2002|p=138}}

<blockquote>The situation on the West Bank is rapidly deteriorating. A concentrated attack has been launched on all axes, together with heavy fire, day and night. Jordanian, Syrian and Iraqi air forces in position H3 have been virtually destroyed. Upon consultation with King Hussein I have been asked to convey to you the following choices:
: 1. A political decision to cease fighting to be imposed by a third party (the USA, the Soviet Union or the Security Council).
: 2. To vacate the West Bank tonight.
: 3. To go on fighting for one more day, resulting in the isolation and destruction of the entire Jordanian Army.
King Hussein has asked me to refer this matter to you for an immediate reply.</blockquote>

An Egyptian order for Jordanian forces to withdraw across the Jordan River was issued at 10 am on 6 June; that afternoon King Hussein learned of the impending [[United Nations Security Council Resolution 233]] and decided instead to hold out in the hope that a ceasefire would be implemented soon. It was already too late, as the counter-order caused confusion and in many cases, it was not possible to regain positions that had been left.{{Sfnp|Mutawi|2002|p=139}}

[[File:צנחנים בכותל המערבי.jpg|thumb|upright|[[David Rubinger]]'s [[Paratroopers at the Western Wall|iconic photograph]] of [[Israel Defense Forces|IDF]] paratroopers at [[Jerusalem]]'s [[Western Wall]] shortly after its capture. The soldiers in the foreground are (from left) Zion Karasenti, Yitzhak Yifat, and [[Haim Oshri]].]]
On 7 June, Dayan ordered his troops not to enter the Old City but, upon hearing that the UN was about to declare a ceasefire, he changed his mind, and without cabinet clearance, decided to capture it.{{Sfnp|Shlaim|2007|p=244}} Two paratroop battalions attacked Augusta-Victoria Hill, high ground overlooking the Old City from the east. One battalion attacked from Mount Scopus, and another attacked from the valley between it and the Old City. Another paratroop battalion, personally led by Gur, broke into the Old City and was joined by the other two battalions after their missions were complete. The paratroopers met little resistance. The fighting was conducted solely by the paratroopers; the Israelis did not use armor during the battle out of fear of severe damage to the Old City.

In the north, a battalion from Peled's division checked Jordanian defenses in the Jordan Valley. A brigade from Peled's division captured the western part of the West Bank. One brigade attacked Jordanian artillery positions around [[Jenin]], which were shelling [[Ramat David Airbase]]. The Jordanian 12th Armored Battalion, which outnumbered the Israelis, held off repeated attempts to capture Jenin. Israeli air attacks took their toll, and the Jordanian [[M48 Patton]]s, with their external fuel tanks, proved vulnerable at short distances, even to the Israeli-modified Shermans. Twelve Jordanian tanks were destroyed, and only six remained operational.{{Sfnp|Oren|2002|p=203}}

Just after dusk, Israeli reinforcements arrived. The Jordanians continued to fiercely resist, and the Israelis were unable to advance without artillery and air support. One Israeli jet attacked the Jordanian commander's tank, wounding him and killing his radio operator and intelligence officer. The surviving Jordanian forces then withdrew to Jenin, where they were reinforced by the 25th Infantry Brigade. The Jordanians were effectively surrounded in Jenin.{{Sfnp|Oren|2002|p=203}}

Jordanian infantry and their three remaining tanks managed to hold off the Israelis until 4:00&nbsp;am, when three battalions arrived to reinforce them in the afternoon. The Jordanian tanks charged and knocked out multiple Israeli vehicles, and the tide began to shift. After sunrise, Israeli jets and artillery conducted a two-hour bombardment against the Jordanians. The Jordanians lost 10 dead and 250 wounded, and had only seven tanks left, including two without gas, and sixteen APCs. The Israelis then fought their way into Jenin and captured the city after fierce fighting.{{Sfnp|Oren|2002|p=219}}

After the Old City fell, the Jerusalem Brigade reinforced the paratroopers, and continued to the south, capturing [[Judea]] and [[Gush Etzion]]. [[Hebron]] was taken without any resistance.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Goren |first=Shlomo |title=With Might and Strength: An Autobiography |publisher=Toby Press LLC |year=2016 |isbn=978-1-59264-409-4 |pages=281}}</ref> Fearful that Israeli soldiers would exact retribution for the [[1929 Hebron massacre|1929 massacre]] of the city's Jewish community, Hebron's residents flew white sheets from their windows and rooftops.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Auerbach |first=Jerold |title=Hebron Jews: Memory and Conflict in the Land of Israel |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield Publishers |year=2009 |isbn=978-0-7425-6615-6 |pages=82}}</ref> The Harel Brigade proceeded eastward, descending to the [[Jordan River]].
[[File:Flickr - Israel Defense Forces - Life of Lt. Gen. Yitzhak Rabin, 7th IDF Chief of Staff in photos (14).jpg|thumb|upright|From left, General [[Uzi Narkiss]], Defense Minister [[Moshe Dayan]], and Chief of Staff Lt. General [[Yitzhak Rabin]] in the Old City of Jerusalem after its fall to Israeli forces]]
On 7 June, Israeli forces seized [[Bethlehem]], taking the city after a brief battle that left some 40 Jordanian soldiers dead, with the remainder fleeing. On the same day, one of Peled's brigades seized [[Nablus]]; then it joined one of Central Command's armored brigades to fight the Jordanian forces; as the Jordanians held the advantage of superior equipment and were equal in numbers to the Israelis.

Again, the air superiority of the IAF proved paramount as it immobilized the Jordanians, leading to their defeat. One of Peled's brigades joined with its Central Command counterparts coming from Ramallah, and the remaining two blocked the Jordan river crossings together with the Central Command's 10th. [[Combat Engineering Corps|Engineering Corps]] sappers blew up the Abdullah and Hussein bridges with captured Jordanian mortar shells, while elements of the Harel Brigade crossed the river and occupied positions along the east bank to cover them, but quickly pulled back due to American pressure. The Jordanians, anticipating an Israeli offensive deep into Jordan, assembled the remnants of their army and Iraqi units in Jordan to protect the western approaches to [[Amman]] and the southern slopes of the [[Golan Heights]].

As Israel continued its offensive on 7 June, taking no account of the UN ceasefire resolution, the Egyptian-Jordanian command ordered a full Jordanian withdrawal for the second time, in order to avoid an annihilation of the Jordanian army.<ref name=Mutawi140>{{harvp|Mutawi|2002|p=140}}: "Shortly after the order for the withdrawal had been issued [10.00 a.m. on 6 June], the Jordanians were informed that the UN Security Council was meeting to consider a resolution for an unconditional ceasefire. On learning of this the Jordanian command decided that the order for withdrawal had been premature, since if a ceasefire went into effect that day they would still be in possession of the West Bank. Consequently, the order was countermanded and those forces which had already withdrawn were asked to return to their original positions... The Security Council ceasefire resolution was passed unanimously at 11.00 p.m. on 6 June. However, Jordan's hope that this would enable it to hold the West Bank was destroyed when Israel continued its offensive. On learning of this Riad once again ordered a complete withdrawal from the West Bank as he feared that failure to do so would result in the annihilation of the remains of the Jordanian Army. By nightfall on 7 June most elements of the army had withdrawn to the East Bank and by mid-day on 8 June Jordan was once again the Transjordan of King Abdullah, while Israel completed total occupation of historical Palestine."</ref> This was complete by nightfall on 7 June.<ref name=Mutawi140/>

After the Old City was captured, Dayan told his troops to "dig in" to hold it. When an armored brigade commander entered the West Bank on his own initiative, and stated that he could see [[Jericho]], Dayan ordered him back. It was only after intelligence reports indicated that Hussein had withdrawn his forces across the Jordan River that Dayan ordered his troops to capture the West Bank.{{Sfnp|Shlaim|2007|p=245}} According to Narkis:

<blockquote>First, the Israeli government had no intention of capturing the West Bank. On the contrary, it was opposed to it. Second, there was not any provocation on the part of the IDF. Third, the rein was only loosened when a real threat to Jerusalem's security emerged. This is truly how things happened on June 5, although it is difficult to believe. The result was something that no one had planned.{{Sfnp|Shlaim|2007|p=246}}</blockquote>