Editing Gamal Abdel Nasser (section)

=== War of Attrition and regional diplomatic initiatives ===
[[File:President Nasser's visit to the Suez front with Egypt's top military commanders during the War of Attrition.jpg|thumb|right|alt=A man wearing suit peering out across a body of water with binoculars from an opening in dirt mound. Behind him are three men in military uniform|Nasser observing the [[Suez]] front with Egyptian officers during the 1968 [[War of Attrition]]. General Commander [[Mohamed Fawzi (general)|Mohamed Fawzi]] is directly behind Nasser, and to their left is Chief of Staff [[Abdul Munim Riad|Abdel Moneim Riad]], November 1968]]
[[File:Nasser brokering ceasefire with Chairman Arafat and King Hussein.jpg|thumb|right|alt=Three important seated men conferring. The first man from the left is wearing a checkered headdress, sunglasses and jodhpurs, the second man is wearing a suit and tie, and the third is wearing military uniform. Standing behind them are suited men.|Nasser brokering a ceasefire between [[Yasser Arafat]] of the [[Palestine Liberation Organization|PLO]] (left) and King Hussein of Jordan (right) at the [[1970 Arab League summit|emergency Arab League summit]] in Cairo on 27 September 1970, one day before Nasser's death]]Meanwhile, in January 1968, Nasser commenced the [[War of Attrition]] to reclaim territory captured by Israel, ordering attacks against Israeli positions east of the then-blockaded Suez Canal.<ref name="Aburish280">{{Harvnb|Aburish|2004|p=280}}</ref> In March, Nasser offered [[Yasser Arafat]]'s [[Fatah]] movement arms and funds after their performance against Israeli forces in the [[Battle of Karameh]] that month.<ref name="Aburish288">{{Harvnb|Aburish|2004|pp=288–290}}</ref> He also advised Arafat to think of peace with Israel and the establishment of a [[Palestinian state]] comprising the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.<ref name="Aburish288" /> Nasser effectively ceded his leadership of the "Palestine issue" to Arafat.<ref name="Aburish281" />

Israel retaliated against Egyptian shelling with commando raids, artillery shelling and air strikes. This resulted in an exodus of civilians from Egyptian cities along the Suez Canal's western bank.<ref>{{Harvnb|Byman|Waxman|2002|p=66}}</ref><ref>{{Harvnb|Rasler|Thompson|Ganguly|2013|p=49}}</ref><ref name="Aburish297-8">{{Harvnb|Aburish|2004|pp=297–298}}</ref> Nasser ceased all military activities and began a program to build a network of internal defenses, while receiving the financial backing of various Arab states.<ref name="Aburish297-8" /> The war resumed in March 1969.<ref name="Aburish297-8" /> In November, Nasser brokered an [[Cairo Agreement (1969)|agreement]] between the PLO and the [[Lebanese Armed Forces|Lebanese military]] that granted Palestinian guerrillas the right to use Lebanese territory to attack Israel.<ref name="Aburish301">{{Harvnb|Aburish|2004|p=301}}</ref>

In June 1970, Nasser accepted the US-sponsored [[Rogers Plan]], which called for an end to hostilities and an Israeli withdrawal from Egyptian territory, but it was rejected by Israel, the PLO, and most Arab states except Jordan.<ref name="Aburish304" /> Nasser had initially rejected the plan, but conceded under pressure from the Soviet Union, which feared that escalating regional conflict could drag it into a war with the US.<ref name="Aburish305">{{Harvnb|Aburish|2004|p=305}}</ref><ref name="Viorst133">{{Harvnb|Viorst|1987|p=133}}</ref> He also determined that a ceasefire could serve as a tactical step toward the strategic goal of recapturing the Suez Canal.<ref>{{Harvnb|Farid|1996|p=163}}</ref> Nasser forestalled any movement toward direct negotiations with Israel. In dozens of speeches and statements, Nasser posited the equation that any direct peace talks with [[Israel]] were tantamount to surrender.<ref name="RabinovichShakedp192">{{cite book|author1=[[Itamar Rabinovich]]|author2=Haim Shaked|title=From June to October: The Middle East Between 1967 And 1973|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vNQ3K5HfiHAC&pg=PA192|publisher=Transaction Publishers|isbn=978-1-4128-2418-7|page=192|quote=In dozens of speeches and statements, Nasser posited the equation that any direct peace talks with Israel were tantamount to surrender. His efforts to forestall any movement toward direct negotiations...}}</ref> Following Nasser's acceptance, Israel agreed to a ceasefire and Nasser used the lull in fighting to move [[surface-to-air missile]]s towards the canal zone.<ref name="Aburish305" /><ref name="Viorst133" />

Meanwhile, tensions in Jordan between an increasingly autonomous PLO and King Hussein's government had been simmering;<ref>{{Harvnb|Dawisha|2009|p=259}}</ref> following the [[Dawson's Field hijackings]], a [[Black September in Jordan|military campaign]] was launched to rout out PLO forces. The offensive elevated risks of a regional war and prompted Nasser to hold an emergency [[1970 Arab League summit|Arab League summit]] on 27 September in Cairo,<ref name="Aburish309-10">{{Harvnb|Aburish|2004|pp=309–310}}</ref> where he forged a ceasefire.<ref>{{Harvnb|Dawisha|2009|p=262}}</ref>