Editing Six-Day War (section)

== Fighting fronts ==
=== Initial attack ===
{{Main|Operation Focus}}
{{See also|Order of battle for the Six-Day War}}
[[File:6dayswar1.jpg|thumb|Israeli troops examine destroyed Egyptian aircraft]]
[[File:Hatzerim Mirage 20100129 1.jpg|thumb|Dassault Mirage at the [[Israeli Air Force Museum]]. Operation Focus was mainly conducted using French built aircraft.]]

The first and most critical move of the conflict was a surprise Israeli attack on the [[Egyptian Air Force]]. Initially, both Egypt and Israel announced that they had been attacked by the other country.<ref name=Quigley2005p163/>

On 5 June at 7:45 Israeli time, with [[civil defense siren]]s sounding all over Israel, the IAF launched Operation Focus (''Moked''). All but 12 of its nearly 200 operational jets{{Sfnp|Oren|2002|p=172}} launched a mass attack against Egypt's [[Aerodrome|airfields]].<ref>{{harvp|Bowen|2003|p=99}} (author interview with Moredechai Hod, 7 May 2002).</ref> The Egyptian defensive infrastructure was extremely poor, and no airfields were yet equipped with [[hardened aircraft shelter]]s capable of protecting Egypt's warplanes. Most of the Israeli warplanes headed out over the [[Mediterranean Sea]], flying low to avoid radar detection, before turning toward Egypt. Others flew over the [[Red Sea]].{{Sfnp|Oren|2002e|loc=Section "The War: Day One, June 5"}}

Meanwhile, the Egyptians hindered their own defense by effectively shutting down their entire air defense system: they were worried that rebel Egyptian forces would shoot down the plane carrying Field Marshal [[Abdel Hakim Amer]] and Lt-Gen. Sidqi Mahmoud, who were en route from al Maza to Bir Tamada in the [[Sinai Peninsula|Sinai]] to meet the commanders of the troops stationed there. It did not make a great deal of difference as the Israeli pilots came in below Egyptian [[radar]] cover and well below the lowest point at which its [[S-75 Dvina|SA-2]] surface-to-air missile batteries could bring down an aircraft.<ref>{{harvp|Bowen|2003|pp=114–115}} (author interview with General Salahadeen Hadidi who presided over the first [[court-martial]] of the heads of the air force and the air defense system after the war).</ref>

Although the powerful Jordanian radar facility at [[Ajloun]] detected waves of aircraft approaching Egypt and reported the code word for "war" up the Egyptian command chain, Egyptian command and communications problems prevented the warning from reaching the targeted airfields.{{Sfnp|Oren|2002e|loc=Section "The War: Day One, June 5"}} The Israelis employed a mixed-attack strategy: bombing and [[strafing]] runs against planes parked on the ground, and bombing to disable runways with special [[tarmac-shredding penetration bomb]]s developed jointly with France, leaving surviving aircraft unable to take off.{{Sfnp|Oren|2002|p=[https://archive.org/details/sixdaysofwarjune0000oren/page/171 171]}}

The runway at the [[Arish]] airfield was spared, as the Israelis expected to turn it into a military airport for their transports after the war. Surviving aircraft were taken out by later attack waves. The operation was more successful than expected, catching the Egyptians by surprise and destroying virtually all of the Egyptian Air Force on the ground, with few Israeli losses. Only four unarmed Egyptian training flights were in the air when the strike began.{{Sfnp|Oren|2002|p=[https://archive.org/details/sixdaysofwarjune0000oren/page/171 171]}} A total of 338 Egyptian aircraft were destroyed and 100 pilots were killed,{{Sfnp|Pollack|2005|p=474}} although the number of aircraft lost by the Egyptians is disputed.<ref>{{harvp|Oren|2002|p=176}}, says 282 out of 420. {{harvp|Morris|2001|p=318}}, says 304 out of 419. {{harvp|Tessler|1994|p=396}}, says over 350 planes were destroyed.</ref>

Among the Egyptian planes lost were all 30 [[Tu-16]] bombers, 27 out of 40 [[Ilyushin Il-28|Il-28]] bombers, 12 [[Su-7]] fighter-bombers, over 90 [[MiG-21]]s, 20 [[MiG-19]]s, 25 [[MiG-17]] fighters, and around 32 transport planes and helicopters. In addition, Egyptian radars and SAM missiles were also attacked and destroyed. The Israelis lost 19 planes, including two destroyed in air-to-air combat and 13 downed by anti-aircraft artillery.{{Sfnp|Long|1984|p=19, Table 1}} One Israeli plane, which was damaged and unable to break radio silence, was shot down by Israeli [[MIM-23 Hawk|Hawk missiles]] after it strayed over the [[Negev Nuclear Research Center]].{{Sfnp|Oren|2002|p=178}} Another was destroyed by an exploding Egyptian bomber.{{Sfnp|Oren|2002|p=175}}

The attack guaranteed Israeli [[air supremacy]] for the rest of the war. Attacks on other Arab air forces by Israel took place later in the day as hostilities broke out on other fronts.

The large numbers of Arab aircraft claimed destroyed by Israel on that day were at first regarded as "greatly exaggerated" by the Western press, but the fact that the Egyptian Air Force, along with other Arab air forces attacked by Israel, made practically no appearance for the remaining days of the conflict proved that the numbers were most likely authentic. Throughout the war, Israeli aircraft continued strafing Arab airfield runways to prevent their return to usability. Meanwhile, Egyptian state-run radio had reported an Egyptian victory, falsely claiming that 70 Israeli planes had been downed on the first day of fighting.<ref name=npr />

=== Gaza Strip and Sinai Peninsula ===
[[File:1967 Six Day War - conquest of Sinai 5-6 June.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|The capture of Sinai. 5–6 June 1967]]
[[File:PikiWiki Israel 16401 Israel Defense Forces.jpg|thumb|People in a bomb shelter at [[Kfar Maimon]]]]

The Egyptian forces consisted of seven [[division (military)|divisions]]: four [[Division (military)#Armored division|armored]], two [[Division (military)#Armored division|infantry]], and one [[mechanized infantry]]. Overall, Egypt had around 100,000 troops and 900–950 [[tank]]s in the Sinai, backed by 1,100 [[Armored personnel carrier|APCs]] and 1,000 [[artillery]] pieces.{{Sfnp|Pollack|2004|p=59}} This arrangement was thought to be based on the Soviet doctrine, where mobile armor units at [[strategic depth]] provide a dynamic defense while infantry units engage in defensive battles.

Israeli forces concentrated on the border with Egypt included six armored [[brigade]]s, one infantry brigade, one mechanized infantry brigade, three [[paratrooper]] brigades, giving a total of around 70,000 men and 700 tanks, who were organized in three armored divisions. They had massed on the border the night before the war, camouflaging themselves and observing radio silence before being ordered to advance.{{citation needed|date=June 2022}}

The Israeli plan was to surprise the Egyptian forces in both timing (the attack exactly coinciding with the IAF strike on Egyptian airfields), and in location (attacking via northern and central Sinai routes, as opposed to the Egyptian expectations of a repeat of the 1956 war, when the IDF attacked via the central and southern routes) and method (using a combined-force flanking approach, rather than direct tank assaults).{{citation needed|date=June 2022}}

==== Northern (El Arish) Israeli division ====
On 5 June, at 7:50&nbsp;am, the northernmost Israeli division, consisting of three brigades and commanded by Major General [[Israel Tal]], one of Israel's most prominent armor commanders, crossed the border at two points, opposite [[Nahal Oz]] and south of [[Khan Yunis]]. They advanced swiftly, holding fire to prolong the element of surprise. Tal's forces assaulted the "Rafah Gap", an {{convert|7|mi|adj=on|order=flip}} stretch containing the shortest of three main routes through the Sinai towards [[El Qantara, Egypt|El Qantara]] and the [[Suez Canal]]. The Egyptians had four divisions in the area, backed by minefields, pillboxes, underground bunkers, hidden gun emplacements and trenches. The terrain on either side of the route was impassable. The Israeli plan was to hit the Egyptians at selected key points with concentrated armor.{{Sfnp|Oren|2002|p=178}}

Tal's advance was led by the [[7th Armored Brigade (Israel)|7th Armored Brigade]] under Colonel [[Shmuel Gonen]]. The Israeli plan called for the 7th Brigade to outflank Khan Yunis from the north and the 60th Armored Brigade under Colonel Menachem Aviram would advance from the south. The two brigades would link up and surround Khan Yunis, while the paratroopers would take [[Rafah]]. Gonen entrusted the breakthrough to a single battalion of his brigade.{{Sfnp|Oren|2002|p=180}}

Initially, the advance was met with light resistance, as Egyptian intelligence had concluded that it was a diversion for the main attack. As Gonen's lead battalion advanced, it suddenly came under intense fire and took heavy losses. A second battalion was brought up, but was also pinned down. Meanwhile, the 60th Brigade became bogged down in the sand, while the paratroopers had trouble navigating through the dunes. The Israelis continued to press their attack, and despite heavy losses, cleared the Egyptian positions and reached the [[Khan Yunis]] railway junction in a little over four hours.{{Sfnp|Oren|2002|p=180}}

Gonen's brigade then advanced nine miles to Rafah in twin columns. Rafah itself was circumvented, and the Israelis attacked [[Sheikh Zuweid]], {{convert|8|mi|order=flip}} to the southwest, which was defended by two brigades. Though inferior in numbers and equipment, the Egyptians were deeply entrenched and camouflaged. The Israelis were pinned down by fierce Egyptian resistance and called in air and artillery support to enable their lead elements to advance. Many Egyptians abandoned their positions after their commander and several of his staff were killed.{{Sfnp|Oren|2002|p=180}}

The Israelis broke through with tank-led assaults, but Aviram's forces misjudged the Egyptians' flank and were pinned between strongholds before they were extracted after several hours. By nightfall, the Israelis had finished mopping up resistance. Israeli forces had taken significant losses, with Colonel Gonen later telling reporters that "we left many of our dead soldiers in Rafah and many burnt-out tanks." The Egyptians suffered some 2,000 casualties and lost 40 tanks.{{Sfnp|Oren|2002|p=180}}

==== Advance on Arish ====
[[File:6 Day War-Amos.jpg|thumb|Israeli reconnaissance forces from the "Shaked" unit in Sinai during the war]]

On 5 June, with the road open, Israeli forces continued advancing towards [[Arish]]. Already by late afternoon, elements of the 79th Armored Battalion had charged through the {{convert|7|mi|adj=on|order=flip}}-long Jiradi defile, a narrow pass defended by well-emplaced troops of the Egyptian 112th Infantry Brigade. In fierce fighting, which saw the pass change hands several times, the Israelis charged through the position. The Egyptians suffered heavy casualties and tank losses, while Israeli losses stood at 66 dead, 93 wounded and 28 tanks. Emerging at the western end, Israeli forces advanced to the outskirts of Arish.{{Sfnp|Oren|2002|p=181}} As it reached the outskirts of Arish, Tal's division also consolidated its hold on Rafah and Khan Yunis.

The following day, 6 June, the Israeli forces on the outskirts of Arish were reinforced by the 7th Brigade, which fought its way through the Jiradi pass. After receiving supplies via an airdrop, the Israelis entered the city and captured the airport at 7:50&nbsp;am. The Israelis entered the city at 8:00&nbsp;am. Company commander [[Yossi Peled]] recounted that "Al-Arish was totally quiet, desolate. Suddenly, the city turned into a madhouse. Shots came at us from every alley, every corner, every window and house." An IDF record stated that "clearing the city was hard fighting. The Egyptians fired from the rooftops, from balconies and windows. They dropped grenades into our half-tracks and blocked the streets with trucks. Our men threw the grenades back and crushed the trucks with their tanks."{{Sfnp|Oren|2002|p=202}}<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.israeli-weapons.com/history/six_day_war/SixDayWar.html |title=Six Day War |publisher=Israeli-weapons|access-date=1 February 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120206185516/http://www.israeli-weapons.com/history/six_day_war/SixDayWar.html |archive-date=6 February 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> Gonen sent additional units to Arish, and the city was eventually taken.

Brigadier-General [[Avraham Yoffe]]'s assignment was to penetrate Sinai south of Tal's forces and north of Sharon's. Yoffe's attack allowed Tal to complete the capture of the Jiradi defile, Khan Yunis. All of them were taken after fierce fighting. Gonen subsequently dispatched a force of tanks, infantry and engineers under Colonel Yisrael Granit to continue down the Mediterranean coast towards the [[Suez Canal]], while a second force led by Gonen himself turned south and captured Bir Lahfan and Jabal Libni.{{citation needed|date=June 2022}}

==== Mid-front (Abu-Ageila) Israeli division ====
{{See also|Battle of Abu-Ageila (1967)}}
[[File:Sharon ageila.JPG|thumb|upright|Major General [[Ariel Sharon]] during the [[Battle of Abu-Ageila (1967)|Battle of Abu-Ageila]]]]

Further south, on 6 June, the Israeli 38th Armored Division under Major-General [[Ariel Sharon]] assaulted [[Um-Katef]], a heavily fortified area defended by the Egyptian [[2nd Infantry Division (Egypt)|2nd Infantry Division]] under Major-General Sa'adi Naguib (though Naguib was actually absent<ref name=KandilSSS83>{{Cite book|first=Hazem|last=Kandil|title=Soldiers, Spies, and Statesmen|publisher=Verso|date=2014|isbn=978-1-78168-142-8|pages=83–84}}</ref>) of Soviet World War II armor, which included 90 [[T-34 tank|T-34-85]] tanks, 22 [[SU-100]] tank destroyers, and about 16,000 men. The Israelis had about 14,000 men and 150 post-World War II tanks including the [[AMX-13]], [[Centurion tank|Centurions]], and [[M50 Super Sherman]]s (modified [[M-4 Sherman]] tanks).{{citation needed|date=June 2022}}

Two armored brigades in the meantime, under Avraham Yoffe, slipped across the border through sandy wastes that Egypt had left undefended because they were considered impassable. Simultaneously, Sharon's tanks from the west were to engage Egyptian forces on Um-Katef ridge and block any reinforcements. Israeli infantry would clear the three trenches, while heliborne paratroopers would land behind Egyptian lines and silence their artillery. An armored thrust would be made at al-Qusmaya to unnerve and isolate its garrison.{{citation needed|date=June 2022}}

As Sharon's division advanced into the Sinai, Egyptian forces staged successful delaying actions at Tarat Umm, Umm Tarfa, and Hill 181. An Israeli jet was downed by anti-aircraft fire, and Sharon's forces came under heavy shelling as they advanced from the north and west. The Israeli advance, which had to cope with extensive minefields, took a large number of casualties. A column of Israeli tanks managed to penetrate the northern flank of [[Battle of Abu-Ageila (1967)|Abu Ageila]], and by dusk, all units were in position. The Israelis then brought up ninety 105&nbsp;mm and 155&nbsp;mm artillery cannon for a preparatory barrage, while civilian buses brought reserve infantrymen under Colonel [[Yekutiel Adam]] and helicopters arrived to ferry the paratroopers. These movements were unobserved by the Egyptians, who were preoccupied with Israeli probes against their perimeter.{{Sfnp|Oren|2002|p=182}}

[[File:AMX-13-latrun-2.jpg|thumb|Israeli armor of the Six-Day War: pictured here the [[AMX 13]]]]

As night fell, the Israeli assault troops lit flashlights, each battalion a different colour, to prevent [[friendly fire]] incidents. At 10:00&nbsp;pm, Israeli artillery began a barrage on Um-Katef, firing some 6,000 shells in less than twenty minutes, the most concentrated artillery barrage in Israel's history.{{Sfnp|Dunstan|2012|p=125|ps=.{{verify source|date=December 2021|reason=according to Google books, the book does not have 125 pages.}}}}<ref>Leslie Stein,[https://books.google.com/books?id=nWkYAAAAQBAJ&pg=PT181 ''The Making of Modern Israel: 1948–1967''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160101175251/https://books.google.com/books?id=nWkYAAAAQBAJ&pg=PT181 |date=1 January 2016 }}, Polity Press, 2013 p.&nbsp;181</ref> Israeli tanks assaulted the northernmost Egyptian defenses and were largely successful, though an entire armored brigade was stalled by mines, and had only one mine-clearance tank. Israeli infantrymen assaulted the triple line of trenches in the east. To the west, paratroopers commanded by Colonel [[Danny Matt]] landed behind Egyptian lines, though half the helicopters got lost and never found the battlefield, while others were unable to land due to mortar fire.{{Sfnp|Oren|2002|p=201}}{{Sfnp|Hammel|1992|p=239}}

Those that successfully landed on target destroyed Egyptian artillery and ammunition dumps and separated gun crews from their batteries, sowing enough confusion to significantly reduce Egyptian artillery fire. Egyptian reinforcements from Jabal Libni advanced towards Um-Katef to counterattack but failed to reach their objective, being subjected to heavy air attacks and encountering Israeli lodgements on the roads. Egyptian commanders then called in artillery attacks on their own positions. The Israelis accomplished and sometimes exceeded their overall plan, and had largely succeeded by the following day. The Egyptians suffered about 2,000 casualties, while the Israelis lost 42 dead and 140 wounded.{{Sfnp|Oren|2002|p=201}}{{Sfnp|Hammel|1992|p=239}}<ref>{{Cite book |last=Gavish |first=Yeshayahu |title=Red Flag |publisher=Kinneret Zamora pavilion |year=2016 |page=183}}</ref>

Yoffe's attack allowed Sharon to complete the capture of the Um-Katef, after fierce fighting. The main thrust at Um-Katef was stalled due to mines and craters. After IDF engineers had cleared a path by 4:00&nbsp;pm, Israeli and Egyptian tanks engaged in fierce combat, often at ranges as close as ten yards. The battle ended in an Israeli victory, with 40 Egyptian and 19 Israeli tanks destroyed. Meanwhile, Israeli infantry finished clearing out the Egyptian trenches, with Israeli casualties standing at 14 dead and 41 wounded and Egyptian casualties at 300 dead and 100 taken prisoner.{{Sfnp|Oren|2002|p=212}}

==== Other Israeli forces ====
Further south, on 5 June, the [[8th Armored Brigade (Israel)|8th Armored Brigade]] under Colonel [[Albert Mandler]], initially positioned as a ruse to draw off Egyptian forces from the real invasion routes, attacked the fortified bunkers at Kuntilla, a strategically valuable position whose capture would enable Mandler to block reinforcements from reaching Um-Katef and to join Sharon's upcoming attack on [[Nekhel|Nakhl]]. The defending Egyptian battalion outnumbered and outgunned, fiercely resisted the attack, hitting several Israeli tanks. Most of the defenders were killed, and only three Egyptian tanks, one of them damaged, survived. By nightfall, Mandler's forces had taken Kuntilla.{{Sfnp|Oren|2002|p=202}}

With the exceptions of Rafah and Khan Yunis, Israeli forces had initially avoided entering the [[Gaza Strip]]. Israeli Defense Minister [[Moshe Dayan]] had expressly forbidden entry into the area. After Palestinian positions in Gaza opened fire on the Negev settlements of [[Nirim]] and [[Kissufim]], IDF Chief of Staff [[Yitzhak Rabin]] overrode Dayan's instructions and ordered the 11th Mechanized Brigade under Colonel Yehuda Reshef to enter the Strip. The force was immediately met with heavy artillery fire and fierce resistance from Palestinian forces and remnants of the Egyptian forces from Rafah.{{citation needed|date=June 2022}}

By sunset, the Israelis had taken the strategically vital Ali Muntar ridge, overlooking [[Gaza City]], but were beaten back from the city itself. Some 70 Israelis were killed, along with Israeli journalist Ben Oyserman and American journalist [[Paul Schutzer]]. Twelve members of [[United Nations Emergency Force|UNEF]] were also killed. On the war's second day, 6 June, the Israelis were bolstered by the [[Paratroopers Brigade|35th Paratroopers Brigade]] under Colonel [[Rafael Eitan]] and took Gaza City along with the entire Strip. The fighting was fierce and accounted for nearly half of all Israeli casualties on the southern front. Gaza rapidly fell to the Israelis.{{citation needed|date=June 2022}}

Meanwhile, on 6 June, two Israeli reserve brigades under Yoffe, each equipped with 100 tanks, penetrated the Sinai south of Tal's division and north of Sharon's, capturing the road junctions of [[Abu Ageila]], Bir Lahfan, and Arish, taking all of them before midnight. Two Egyptian armored brigades counterattacked, and a fierce battle took place until the following morning. The Egyptians were beaten back by fierce resistance coupled with airstrikes, sustaining heavy tank losses. They fled west towards Jabal Libni.{{Sfnp|Oren|2002|p=211}}

==== The Egyptian Army ====
During the ground fighting, remnants of the [[Egyptian Air Force]] attacked Israeli ground forces but took losses from the Israeli Air Force and from Israeli anti-aircraft units. Throughout the last four days, Egyptian aircraft flew 150 sorties against Israeli units in the Sinai.{{citation needed|date=June 2022}}

Many of the Egyptian units remained intact and could have tried to prevent the Israelis from reaching the [[Suez Canal]], or engaged in combat in the attempt to reach the canal, but when the Egyptian Field Marshal [[Abdel Hakim Amer]] heard about the fall of [[Battle of Abu-Ageila (1967)|Abu-Ageila]], he panicked and ordered all units in the Sinai to retreat. This order effectively meant the defeat of Egypt.{{citation needed|date=June 2022}}

Meanwhile, President [[Gamal Abdel Nasser|Nasser]], having learned of the results of the Israeli air strikes, decided together with Field Marshal [[Abdel Hakim Amer|Amer]] to order a general retreat from the Sinai within 24 hours. No detailed instructions were given concerning the manner and sequence of withdrawal.<ref name="ahram1">{{Cite web |url=http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/Archive/2007/848/sc1.htm |title=The road to Naksa |work=Al-Ahram |author=Mubasher, Abdou |date=7–13 June 2007 |access-date=24 May 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170524214942/http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/Archive/2007/848/sc1.htm |archive-date=24 May 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==== Next fighting days ====
{{More citations needed section|date=June 2017}}
[[File:1967 Six Day War - conquest of Sinai 7-8 June.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|The capture of Sinai. 7–8 June 1967]]
[[File:1967-06-06 Mid-East.ogv|thumb|thumbtime=0:56|A newsreel from 6 June about the first Israeli-Egyptian fighting.]]
[[File:Flickr - Government Press Office (GPO) - Israeli Gun Boat.jpg|thumb|An Israeli gunboat passes through the Straits of Tiran near Sharm El Sheikh.]]

As Egyptian columns retreated, Israeli aircraft and artillery attacked them. Israeli jets used [[napalm]] bombs during their sorties. The attacks destroyed hundreds of vehicles and caused heavy casualties. At Jabal Libni, retreating Egyptian soldiers were fired upon by their own artillery. At Bir Gafgafa, the Egyptians fiercely resisted advancing Israeli forces, knocking out three tanks and eight half-tracks, and killing 20 soldiers. Due to the Egyptians' retreat, the Israeli High Command decided not to pursue the Egyptian units but rather to bypass and destroy them in the mountainous passes of West Sinai.{{citation needed|date=June 2022}}

Therefore, in the following two days (6 and 7 June), all three Israeli divisions (Sharon and Tal were reinforced by an armored brigade each) rushed westwards and reached the passes. Sharon's division first went southward then westward, via [[An-Nakhl Fortress|An-Nakhl]], to [[Mitla Pass]] with air support. It was joined there by parts of Yoffe's division, while its other units blocked the [[Gidi Pass]]. These passes became killing grounds for the Egyptians, who ran right into waiting Israeli positions and suffered heavy losses in both soldiers and vehicles. According to Egyptian diplomat [[Mahmoud Riad]], 10,000 men were killed in one day alone, and many others died from thirst. Tal's units stopped at various points to the length of the Suez Canal.{{citation needed|date=June 2022}}

Israel's blocking action was partially successful. Only the Gidi pass was captured before the Egyptians approached it, but at other places, Egyptian units managed to pass through and cross the canal to safety. Due to the haste of the Egyptian retreat, soldiers often abandoned weapons, military equipment, and hundreds of vehicles. Many Egyptian soldiers were cut off from their units had to walk about {{convert|200|km}} on foot before reaching the Suez Canal with limited supplies of food and water and were exposed to intense heat. Thousands died as a result. Many Egyptian soldiers chose instead to surrender to the Israelis, who eventually exceeded their capabilities to provide for prisoners. As a result, they began directing soldiers towards the Suez Canal and only imprisoned high-ranking officers, who were expected to be exchanged for captured Israeli pilots.{{citation needed|date=June 2022}}

According to some accounts, during the Egyptian retreat from the Sinai, a unit of [[Russian Naval Infantry|Soviet Marines]] based on a Soviet warship in [[Port Said]] at the time came ashore and attempted to cross the Suez Canal eastward. The Soviet force was reportedly decimated by an Israeli air attack and lost 17 dead and 34 wounded. Among the wounded was the commander, Lt. Col. Victor Shevchenko.<ref name=ginor>Ginor, Isabella and Remez, Gideon: ''The Soviet-Israeli War, 1967–1973: The USSR's Military Intervention in the Egyptian-Israeli Conflict'', p.&nbsp;23</ref>

During the offensive, the [[Israeli Navy]] landed six [[frogman|combat divers]] from the [[Shayetet 13]] naval commando unit to infiltrate [[Alexandria]] harbor. The divers sank an Egyptian [[minesweeper (ship)|minesweeper]] before being taken prisoner. Shayetet 13 commandos also infiltrated [[Port Said]] harbor, but found no ships there. A planned commando raid against the [[Syrian Navy]] never materialized. Both Egyptian and Israeli warships made movements at sea to intimidate the other side throughout the war but did not engage each other. Israeli warships and aircraft hunted for Egyptian submarines throughout the war.{{citation needed|date=June 2022}}

On 7 June, Israel began its attack on [[Sharm el-Sheikh]]. The [[Israeli Navy]] started the operation with a probe of Egyptian naval defenses. An aerial reconnaissance flight found that the area was less defended than originally thought. At about 4:30&nbsp;am, three Israeli [[missile boat]]s opened fire on Egyptian shore batteries, while paratroopers and commandos boarded helicopters and [[Nord Noratlas]] transport planes for an assault on Al-Tur, as Chief of Staff Rabin was convinced it was too risky to land them directly in Sharm el-Sheikh.{{Sfnp|Oren|2002|p=248}} The city had been largely abandoned the day before, and reports from air and naval forces finally convinced Rabin to divert the aircraft to Sharm el-Sheikh. There, the Israelis engaged in a pitched battle with the Egyptians and took the city, killing 20 Egyptian soldiers and taking eight more prisoners. At 12:15&nbsp;pm, Defense Minister Dayan announced that the Straits of Tiran constituted an international waterway open to all ships without restriction.{{Sfnp|Oren|2002|p=248}}

On 8 June, Israel completed the capture of the Sinai by sending infantry units to [[Ras Sudar]] on the western coast of the peninsula.

Several tactical elements made the swift Israeli advance possible:

# The surprise attack that quickly gave the [[Israeli Air Force]] complete air superiority over the [[Egyptian Air Force]].
# The determined implementation of an innovative battle plan.
# The lack of coordination among Egyptian troops.

These factors would prove to be decisive elements on Israel's other fronts as well.{{citation needed|date=June 2022}}

=== West Bank ===
[[File:1967 Six Day War - The Jordan salient.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|The Jordan [[Salient (military)|salient]], 5–7 June.]]

====Egyptian control of Jordanian forces====
King Hussein had given control of his army to Egypt on 1 June, on which date Egyptian General Riad arrived in [[Amman]] to take control of the Jordanian military.{{Efn|Shlaim writes: "To understand Hussein's conduct during the June 1967 War it is essential to recall that he had handed over command of his army to Egypt under the terms of his pact with Nasser. On 1 June, General Riad arrived in Amman and assumed command of the Jordanian armed forces."{{Sfnp|Shlaim|Louis|2012|p=112}}}}

Egyptian Field Marshal Amer used the [[Fog of war|confusion]] of the first hours of the conflict to send a cable to Amman that he was victorious; he claimed as evidence a radar sighting of a squadron of Israeli aircraft returning from bombing raids in Egypt, which he said was an Egyptian aircraft en route to attack Israel.{{Sfnp|Oren|2002|pp=184–185}} In this cable, sent shortly before 9:00&nbsp;am, Riad was ordered to attack.{{Efn|On the initial Jordanian attack, Shlaim writes: "The cable was from First Vice-President and Deputy Supreme Commander Field Marshal Abd al-Hakim Amer. Amer was a nincompoop who largely owed his rapid promotion to his friendship with Nasser... He was inexperienced in military affairs, impulsive, and prone to wishful thinking... Amer's cable to Riad was a pack of lies... On the basis of these alleged successes, Amer ordered Riad to open a new front against the enemy and launch offensive operations. By the time Hussein arrived at the headquarters, Riad had already given the orders for the artillery to move to the front lines and bombard Israeli airbases and other targets; an infantry brigade to occupy the Israeli enclave on Mount Scopus in Jerusalem; the two Egyptian commando battalions to infiltrate enemy territory from the West Bank at dusk; and the air force to be put on combat alert and commence airstrikes immediately. Although these decisions were made in his absence, Hussein made no attempt to cancel them or to delay the opening of fire until the information from Cairo could be checked. Jordan was thus committed to war by the decision of an Egyptian general who was acting on the orders of a serial blunderer in Cairo."{{Sfnp|Shlaim|Louis|2012|p=113}}}}

====Initial attack====
One of the Jordanian brigades stationed in the [[West Bank]] was sent to the [[Hebron]] area in order to link with the Egyptians.

The IDF's strategic plan was to remain on the defensive along the Jordanian front, to enable focus in the expected campaign against Egypt.

Intermittent machine-gun exchanges began taking place in Jerusalem at 9:30&nbsp;am, and the fighting gradually escalated as the Jordanians introduced mortar and recoilless rifle fire. Under the orders from General Narkis, the Israelis responded only with small-arms fire, firing in a flat trajectory to avoid hitting civilians, holy sites or the Old City. At 10:00&nbsp;am on 5 June, the [[Jordanian Army]] began shelling Israel. Two batteries of 155&nbsp;mm [[155 mm Long Tom|Long Tom]] cannons opened fire on the suburbs of [[Tel Aviv]] and [[Ramat David Airbase]]. The commanders of these batteries were instructed to lay a two-hour barrage against military and civilian settlements in central Israel. Some shells hit the outskirts of Tel Aviv.<ref name="Washington Institute for Near East Policy 2002">"On June 5, Israel sent a message to Hussein urging him not to open fire. Despite shelling into West Jerusalem, Netanya, and the outskirts of Tel Aviv, Israel did nothing." [http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/templateC05.php?CID=2080 The Six-Day War and Its Enduring Legacy] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060216005405/http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/templateC05.php?CID=2080 |date=16 February 2006 }}. Summary of remarks by Michael Oren at the [[Washington Institute for Near East Policy]], 29 May 2002.</ref>

By 10:30&nbsp;am, Eshkol had sent a message via [[Odd Bull]] to [[Hussein of Jordan|King Hussein]] promising not to initiate any action against Jordan if it stayed out of the war.<ref name="Neff1984">{{Cite book|author=Donald Neff|title=Warriors for Jerusalem: the six days that changed the Middle East|url=https://archive.org/details/warriorsforjerus00neff|url-access=registration|year=1984|publisher=Linden Press/Simon & Schuster|isbn=978-0-671-45485-2|page=[https://archive.org/details/warriorsforjerus00neff/page/205 205]|quote=Odd Bull: "[the message] was a threat, pure and simple and it is not the normal practice of the U.N. to pass on threats from one government to another." As "…this message seemed so important… we quickly sent it…and King Hussein received the message before 10:30 the same morning."|access-date=27 October 2015}}</ref> King Hussein replied that it was too late, and "[[alea iacta est|the die was cast]]".<ref name="Shlaim2000p243" /> At 11:15&nbsp;am, Jordanian howitzers began a 6,000-shell barrage at Israeli Jerusalem. The Jordanians initially targeted [[kibbutz]] [[Ramat Rachel]] in the south and [[Mount Scopus]] in the north, then ranged into the city center and outlying neighborhoods. Military installations, the Prime Minister's Residence, and the [[Knesset]] compound were also targeted. Jordanian forces shelled the [[Beit HaNassi]] and the [[Biblical Zoo]], killing fifteen civilians.<ref>{{Cite news |title=The broom closet where history was made |url=https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/the-broom-closet-where-history-was-made-492065 |access-date=2022-06-11 |website=[[The Jerusalem Post]] |language=en-US |archive-date=11 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220611160925/https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/the-broom-closet-where-history-was-made-492065 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=⁨15 _אזרחים נהרגו ו‭500" נפצעו בירושלים ⁩ — ⁨⁨דבר⁩ 7 יוני 1967⁩ — הספרייה הלאומית של ישראל │ עיתונים |url=https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/dav/1967/06/07/01/article/15 |access-date=2022-06-11 |website=www.nli.org.il |language=he |archive-date=17 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240517182614/https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/dav/1967/06/07/01/article/15 |url-status=live }}</ref> Israeli [[civilian casualties]] totalled 20 dead and over 1,000 wounded. Some 900 buildings were damaged, including [[Hadassah Medical Center|Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital]], which had its [[Chagall]]-made windows destroyed.{{Sfnp|Oren|2002|pp=185–187}}

Around midday, eight Iraqi Hawker Hunters attacked the [[Kfar Sirkin]] airfield, destroying a [[Noratlas]] transport aircraft and a [[Piper Super Cub]]. Four Jordanian Hunters also hit a factory hall in [[Netanya]], killing one civilian and wounding seven.<ref>{{harvnb|Sipos|Cooper|2020|pages=67-68}}</ref>

==== Israeli cabinet meets ====
When the [[Israeli cabinet]] convened to decide on a plan of action, [[Yigal Allon]] and [[Menahem Begin]] argued that this was an opportunity to take the [[Old City (Jerusalem)|Old City of Jerusalem]], but [[Levi Eshkol|Eshkol]] decided to defer any decision until [[Moshe Dayan]] and [[Yitzhak Rabin]] could be consulted.{{Sfnp|Shlaim|2007|p=244}} [[Uzi Narkiss]] made proposals for military action, including the capture of [[Latrun]], but the cabinet turned him down. Dayan rejected multiple requests from Narkiss for permission to mount an infantry assault towards Mount Scopus but sanctioned some limited retaliatory actions.{{Sfnp|Oren|2002|pp=187–188}}

==== Initial response ====
Shortly before 12:30&nbsp;pm, the [[Israeli Air Force]] attacked Jordan's two airbases. The Hawker Hunters were refueling at the time of the attack. The Israeli aircraft attacked in two waves, the first of which cratered the runways and knocked out the control towers, and the second wave destroyed all 21 of Jordan's Hawker Hunter fighters, along with six transport aircraft and two helicopters. One Israeli jet was shot down by ground fire.{{Sfnp|Oren|2002|pp=187–188}}

Three Israeli [[Sud Aviation Vautour|Vautours]] also attacked [[H-3 Air Base|H-3]], an airfield in western Iraq used by the [[Iraqi Air Force]]. During the attack, three MiG-21s, one Hunter, one [[de Havilland Dove]] and one [[Antonov An-12]] were destroyed on the ground. They also damaged the runway, although it was repaired by the next morning.<ref>{{harvnb|Sipos|Cooper|2020|pages=67-68}}</ref> The Jordanian radar facility at [[Ajloun]] was also destroyed in an Israeli airstrike.{{Sfnp|Oren|2002|pp=187–188}}

Israeli [[Fouga Magister]] jets attacked the Jordanian 40th Brigade with rockets as it moved south from the [[Damia Bridge]]. Dozens of tanks were knocked out, and a convoy of 26 trucks carrying ammunition was destroyed. In Jerusalem, Israel responded to Jordanian shelling with a missile strike that devastated Jordanian positions. The Israelis used the L missile, a [[surface-to-surface]] missile developed jointly with [[France]] in secret.{{Sfnp|Oren|2002|pp=187–188}}

The next morning, three Iraqi Hawker Hunters attacked a group of tanks in the process of refueling next to the road between [[Nazareth]] and [[Haifa]]. An Iraqi [[Tupolev Tu-16]] also bombed a military installation 10 kilometers southeast of [[Afula]], killing two Israeli soldiers, while another attacked [[Netanya]] and [[Ramat David Airbase]], before being shot down near the Megiddo airfield. The aircraft crashed into a military storage complex hidden in a forest, killing its crew and 16 Israeli soldiers.<ref name="GSHaaretz" /> Four Israeli Vautours escorted by two Mirages re-attacked the H-3 airfield, resulting in one Hunter crashing on take-off, and a Hunter and a MiG-21 being damaged in air combat.<ref>{{harvnb|Sipos|Cooper|2020|pages=69-72}}</ref>

On 7 June, four Vautours escorted by four Mirages attacked the H-3 airfield for the third time. This resulted in an air combat with Hunters, piloted by Iraqis, as well as a Jordanian and Pakistani pilot [[Saiful Azam]]. One Iraqi Hunter was shot down and its pilot killed, while the Israelis lost two Vautours and one Mirage, with three crewmen dead and two taken prisoner.<ref name="GSHaaretz">{{cite web|url=https://www.haaretz.com/2002-09-20/ty-article/the-gathering-storm/0000017f-dede-d856-a37f-ffde638c0000|title=The Gathering Storm|work=Haaretz|date=20 September 2002|first=Amir|last=Oren|quote=A pilot and two navigators were killed, and two pilots - Gideon Dror and Yitzhak Golan - were taken prisoner. |ref=none}}</ref>

==== Jordanian battalion at Government House ====
[[File:Ammunition Hill Museum Exhibits P1010036.JPG|thumb|upright|Israeli paratroopers flush out Jordanian soldiers from trenches during the [[Battle of Ammunition Hill]].]]

A Jordanian battalion advanced up Government House ridge and dug in at the perimeter of Government House, the headquarters of the United Nations observers,<ref name="UNISPAL1347">{{Cite web |url=https://unispal.un.org/UNISPAL.NSF/0/CD0BEBA6A1E28EFF0525672800567B2C |title=United Nations June 5, 1967 |publisher=United Nations |access-date=1 February 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111226202011/http://unispal.un.org/UNISPAL.NSF/0/CD0BEBA6A1E28EFF0525672800567B2C |archive-date=26 December 2011 }}</ref>{{Sfnp|Oren|2002|p=187}}{{Sfnp|Shlaim|2007|p=245}} and opened fire on Ramat Rachel, the Allenby Barracks and the Jewish section of [[Abu Tor]] with mortars and recoilless rifles. UN observers fiercely protested the incursion into the neutral zone, and several manhandled a Jordanian machine gun out of Government House after the crew had set it up in a second-floor window. After the Jordanians occupied [[Jabel Mukaber]], an advance patrol was sent out and approached Ramat Rachel, where they came under fire from four civilians, including the wife of the director, who were armed with old Czech-made weapons.{{Sfnp|Oren|2002|pp=188–189}}<ref>{{Cite web|author=Eric Hammel|date=1992 |url=http://www.pacificamilitary.com/books/f-sixDaysInJune.html |title=The Jordanians Attack West Jerusalem |website=Pacifica Military History |access-date=1 February 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120308234307/http://www.pacificamilitary.com/books/f-sixDaysInJune.html |archive-date=8 March 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

The immediate Israeli response was an offensive to retake Government House and its ridge. The Jerusalem Brigade's Reserve Battalion 161, under Lieutenant-Colonel Asher Dreizin, was given the task. Dreizin had two infantry companies and eight tanks under his command, several of which broke down or became stuck in the mud at Ramat Rachel, leaving three for the assault. The Jordanians mounted fierce resistance, knocking out two tanks.{{Sfnp|Oren|2002|pp=191–192}}

The Israelis broke through the compound's western gate and began clearing the building with grenades, before General [[Odd Bull]], commander of the UN observers, compelled the Israelis to hold their fire, telling them that the Jordanians had already fled. The Israelis proceeded to take the Antenna Hill, directly behind Government House, and clear out a series of bunkers to the west and south. The fighting often conducted hand-to-hand, continued for nearly four hours before the surviving Jordanians fell back to trenches held by the Hittin Brigade, which were steadily overwhelmed. By 6:30&nbsp;am, the Jordanians had retreated to [[Bethlehem]], having suffered about 100 casualties. All but ten of Dreizin's soldiers were casualties, and Dreizin himself was wounded three times.{{Sfnp|Oren|2002|pp=191–192}}

==== Israeli invasion ====
{{Further|Battle of Ammunition Hill}}
[[File:Ammunition Hill Museum Exhibits P1010039.JPG|thumb|upright|Silhouette of Israeli paratroops advancing on Ammunition Hill]]
During the late afternoon of 5 June, the Israelis launched an offensive to encircle Jerusalem, which lasted into the following day. During the night, they were supported by intense tank, artillery and mortar fire to soften up Jordanian positions. Searchlights placed atop the Labor Federation building, then the tallest in Israeli Jerusalem, exposed and blinded the Jordanians. The Jerusalem Brigade moved south of Jerusalem, while the mechanized [[Harel Brigade]] and [[55th Paratroopers Brigade]] under [[Mordechai Gur]] encircled it from the north.{{Sfnp|Oren|2002|p=222}}

A combined force of tanks and paratroopers crossed [[No man's land#Israel–Jordan|no-man's land]] near the [[Mandelbaum Gate]]. Gur's 66th paratroop battalion approached the fortified Police Academy. The Israelis used [[Bangalore torpedo]]es to blast their way through [[barbed wire]] leading up to the position while exposed and under heavy fire. With the aid of two tanks borrowed from the Jerusalem Brigade, they captured the Police Academy. After receiving reinforcements, they moved up to attack [[Battle of Ammunition Hill|Ammunition Hill]].{{Sfnp|Oren|2002|p=222}}<ref name="Jordanian Front">{{Cite web|url=https://www.sixdaywar.org/war/the-jordanian-front/|title=The Jordanian Front}}</ref>

The Jordanian defenders, who were heavily dug-in, fiercely resisted the attack. All of the Israeli officers except for two company commanders were killed, and the fighting was mostly led by individual soldiers. The fighting was conducted at [[Close-quarters combat|close quarters]] in trenches and bunkers and was often hand-to-hand. The Israelis captured the position after four hours of heavy fighting. During the battle, 36 Israeli and 71 Jordanian soldiers were killed.{{Sfnp|Oren|2002|p=222}}<ref name="Jordanian Front" /> Even after the fighting on Ammunition Hill had ended, Israeli soldiers were forced to remain in the trenches due to Jordanian sniper fire from [[Givat HaMivtar]] until the [[Harel Brigade]] overran that outpost in the afternoon.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.jewishtoronto.com/page.aspx?id=65548|title=Memories from Ammunition Hill|date=2 January 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140102192104/http://www.jewishtoronto.com/page.aspx?id=65548|archive-date=2 January 2014}}</ref>

The 66th battalion subsequently drove east, and linked up with the Israeli enclave on [[Mount Scopus]] and its [[Hebrew University of Jerusalem|Hebrew University]] campus. Gur's other battalions, the 71st and 28th captured the other Jordanian positions around the [[American Colony, Jerusalem|American Colony]], despite being short on men and equipment and having come under a Jordanian mortar bombardment while waiting for the signal to advance.{{Sfnp|Oren|2002|p=222}}<ref name="Jordanian Front" />

At the same time, the IDF's 4th Brigade attacked the fortress at [[Latrun]], which the Jordanians had abandoned due to heavy Israeli tank fire. The mechanized [[Harel Brigade]] attacked [[Har Adar]], but seven tanks were knocked out by mines, forcing the infantry to mount an assault without armored cover. The Israeli soldiers advanced under heavy fire, jumping between rocks to avoid mines and the fighting was conducted at close quarters with knives and bayonets.{{citation needed|date=June 2022}}

The Jordanians fell back after a battle that left two Israeli and eight Jordanian soldiers dead, and Israeli forces advanced through [[Beth-Horon|Beit Horon]] towards [[Ramallah]], taking four fortified villages along the way. By the evening, the brigade arrived in Ramallah. Meanwhile, the 163rd Infantry Battalion secured [[Abu Tor]] following a fierce battle, severing the Old City from Bethlehem and Hebron.{{citation needed|date=June 2022}}

Meanwhile, 600 Egyptian commandos stationed in the West Bank moved to attack Israeli airfields. Led by Jordanian intelligence scouts, they crossed the border and began infiltrating through Israeli settlements towards [[Ramla]] and [[Hatzor]]. They were soon detected and sought shelter in nearby fields, which the Israelis set on fire. Some 450 commandos were killed, and the remainder escaped to Jordan.{{Sfnp|Oren|2002|p=203}}

From the American Colony, the [[paratroopers]] moved towards the Old City. Their plan was to approach it via the lightly defended Salah al-Din Street but made a wrong turn onto the heavily defended Nablus Road and ran into fierce resistance. Their tanks fired at point-blank range down the street, while the paratroopers mounted repeated charges. Despite repelling repeated Israeli charges, the Jordanians gradually gave way to Israeli firepower and momentum. The Israelis suffered some 30 casualties – half the original force – while the Jordanians lost 45 dead and 142 wounded.{{Sfnp|Oren|2002|pp=222–223}}

Meanwhile, the Israeli 71st Battalion breached barbed wire and minefields and emerged near Wadi Joz, near the base of Mount Scopus, from where the Old City could be cut off from Jericho and East Jerusalem from Ramallah. Israeli artillery targeted the one remaining route from Jerusalem to the West Bank, and shellfire deterred the Jordanians from counterattacking from their positions at Augusta-Victoria. An Israeli detachment then captured the [[Rockefeller Museum]] after a brief skirmish.{{Sfnp|Oren|2002|pp=222–223}}

Afterwards, the Israelis broke through to the Jerusalem-Ramallah road. At Tel al-Ful, the Harel Brigade fought a running battle with up to thirty Jordanian tanks. The Jordanians stalled the advance and destroyed some half-tracks, but the Israelis launched air attacks and exploited the vulnerability of the external fuel tanks mounted on the Jordanian tanks. The Jordanians lost half their tanks, and retreated towards [[Jericho]]. Joining up with the 4th Brigade, the Israelis then descended through [[Shuafat]] and the site of what is now [[French Hill (neighborhood)|French Hill]], through Jordanian defenses at Mivtar, emerging at Ammunition Hill.{{Sfnp|Oren|2002|p=224}}

[[File:Ammunition Hill Museum Exhibits P1010035.JPG|thumb|An Israeli airstrike near the Augusta-Victoria Hospital]]
With Jordanian defenses in Jerusalem crumbling, elements of the Jordanian 60th Brigade and an infantry battalion were sent from Jericho to reinforce Jerusalem. Its original orders were to repel the Israelis from the Latrun corridor, but due to the worsening situation in Jerusalem, the brigade was ordered to proceed to Jerusalem's Arab suburbs and attack [[Mount Scopus]]. Parallel to the brigade were infantrymen from the Imam Ali Brigade, who were approaching [[Al-Issawiya|Issawiya]]. The brigades were spotted by Israeli aircraft and decimated by rocket and cannon fire. Other Jordanian attempts to reinforce Jerusalem were beaten back, either by armored ambushes or airstrikes.{{citation needed|date=June 2022}}

Fearing damage to holy sites and the prospect of having to fight in built-up areas, Dayan ordered his troops not to enter the Old City.{{Sfnp|Shlaim|2007|p=244}} He also feared that Israel would be subjected to a fierce international backlash and the outrage of Christians worldwide if it forced its way into the Old City. Privately, he told [[David Ben-Gurion]] that he was also concerned over the prospect of Israel capturing Jerusalem's holy sites, only to be forced to give them up under the threat of international sanctions.{{citation needed|date=June 2022}}

==== 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>

=== Golan Heights ===
[[File:1967 Six Day War - Battle of Golan Heights.svg|thumb|upright=1.35|The Battle of Golan Heights, 9–10 June.]]

In May–June 1967, in preparation for conflict, the Israeli government planned to confine the confrontation to the Egyptian front, whilst taking into account the possibility of some fighting on the Syrian front.<ref name="Shlaim2000p243" />

==== Syrian front 5–8 June ====
Syria largely stayed out of the conflict for the first four days.<ref name=Shlaim9293>{{harvp|Shlaim|Louis|2012|pp=92–93}}: "Except for some sporadic Syrian shelling of Israeli settlements along the border, Syria stayed pretty much out of the war for the first four days... the Syrians were confused by what they slowly learned was the scale of the destruction on the Egyptian front. They were astounded. They did not understand what was going on, nor did they have the military experience and capability, especially in the officer corps, to react to the new situation. With no air support, how could they move forward against Israel? They reasoned that if they sat tight, they could emerge from this with little damage."</ref><ref>{{harvp|Mutawi|2002|p=182|ps=: "When it came to war, Syria stood aside despite its defence pact with Egypt, while Israel overran Gaza, Sinai and the West Bank. Throughout the critical days between 5 and 8 June 1967, the Egyptian political and military leadership begged Syria to fulfil its commitments and to support Jordan's efforts, but it refused to respond even though Jordan had entered the war in the belief that it would be supported by Syria and Egypt."}}</ref>

False Egyptian reports of a crushing victory against the Israeli army<ref name=npr>{{Cite web |url= https://www.npr.org/news/specials/mideast/history/history4.html |title= Part 4: The 1967 Six Day War |website= [[NPR]] |access-date= 20 April 2011 |url-status=live |archive-date= 11 May 2011 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110511205043/http://www.npr.org/news/specials/mideast/history/history4.html}}</ref> and forecasts that Egyptian forces would soon be attacking [[Tel Aviv]] influenced Syria's decision to enter the war – in a sporadic manner – during this period.<ref name=Shlaim9293/> Syrian artillery began shelling northern Israel, and twelve Syrian jets attacked Israeli settlements in the [[Galilee]]. Israeli fighter jets intercepted the Syrian aircraft, shooting down three and driving off the rest.{{Sfnp|Sachar|1976|p=642}} In addition, two [[Lebanon|Lebanese]] [[Hawker Hunter]] jets, two of the twelve Lebanon had, crossed into Israeli airspace and began strafing Israeli positions in the Galilee. They were intercepted by Israeli fighter jets, and one was shot down.{{Sfnp|Oren|2002|p=237}}

On the evening of 5 June, the Israeli Air Force attacked Syrian airfields. The [[Syrian Air Force]] lost some 32 [[MiG 21]]s, 23 [[MiG-15]] and MiG-17 fighters, and two [[Ilyushin Il-28]] bombers, two-thirds of its fighting strength. The Syrian aircraft that survived the attack retreated to distant bases and played no further role in the war. Following the attack, Syria realized that the news it had received from Egypt of the near-total destruction of the Israeli military could not have been true.{{Sfnp|Sachar|1976|p=642}}

[[File:PikiWiki Israel 7250 Kids in the shelter kibbutz Dan.JPG|thumb|People in a bomb shelter at [[Dan, Israel|Kibbutz Dan]]]]
On 6 June, a minor Syrian force tried to capture the water plants at [[Tel Dan]] (the subject of a fierce escalation two years earlier), [[Dan, Israel|Dan]], and [[She'ar Yashuv]]. These attacks were repulsed with the loss of twenty soldiers and seven tanks. An Israeli officer was also killed. But a broader Syrian offensive quickly failed. Syrian reserve units were broken up by Israeli air attacks, and several tanks were reported to have sunk in the Jordan River.{{Sfnp|Sachar|1976|p=642}}

Other problems included tanks being too wide for bridges, lack of radio communications between tanks and infantry, and units ignoring orders to advance. A post-war Syrian army report concluded:

<blockquote>Our forces did not go on the offensive either because they did not arrive or were not wholly prepared or because they could not find shelter from the enemy's aircraft. The reserves could not withstand the air attacks; they dispersed after their morale plummeted.{{Sfnp|Oren|2002e|loc=Section "Damascus and Jerusalem"}}</blockquote>

The Syrians bombarded Israeli civilian settlements in the [[Galilee Panhandle]] with two battalions of [[130 mm towed field gun M1954 (M-46)|M-46 130mm guns]], four companies of heavy mortars, and dug-in [[Panzer IV]] tanks. The Syrian bombardment killed two civilians and hit 205 houses as well as farming installations. An inaccurate report from a Syrian officer said that as a result of the bombardment that "the enemy appears to have suffered heavy losses and is retreating".{{Sfnp|Dunstan|2013|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=8Vy1CwAAQBAJ&pg=PA65 65]}}

==== Israelis debate whether the Golan Heights should be attacked ====
On 7 and 8 June, the Israeli leadership debated about whether to attack the Golan Heights as well. Syria had supported pre-war raids that had helped raise tensions and had routinely shelled Israel from the Heights, so some Israeli leaders wanted to see Syria punished.{{Sfnp|Oren|2002e|loc=Section "The War: Day Five, June 9"}} Military opinion was that the attack would be extremely costly since it would entail an uphill battle against a strongly fortified enemy. The western side of the Golan Heights consists of a rock escarpment that rises 500 meters (1,700&nbsp;ft) from the [[Sea of Galilee]] and the [[Jordan River]], and then flattens to a gently sloping plateau. Dayan opposed the operation bitterly at first, believing such an undertaking would result in losses of 30,000 and might trigger Soviet intervention. Prime Minister [[Levi Eshkol|Eshkol]], on the other hand, was more open to the possibility, as was the head of the Northern Command, [[David Elazar]], whose unbridled enthusiasm for and confidence in the operation may have eroded Dayan's reluctance.{{Citation needed|date=June 2022}}

Eventually, the situation on the Southern and Central fronts cleared up, intelligence estimated that the likelihood of Soviet intervention had been reduced, [[reconnaissance]] showed some Syrian defenses in the Golan region collapsing, and an intercepted cable revealed that Nasser was urging the President of Syria to immediately accept a ceasefire. At 3 am on 9 June, Syria announced its acceptance of the ceasefire. Despite this announcement, Dayan became more enthusiastic about the idea and four hours later at 7 am, "gave the order to go into action against Syria"{{Efn|Israel clearly did not want the US Government to know too much about its dispositions for attacking Syria, initially planned for June 8, but postponed for 24 hours. The attack on the ''Liberty'' occurred on June 8, whereas on June 9 at 3 am, Syria announced its acceptance of the cease-fire. Despite this, at 7 am, that is, four hours later, Israel's [[Ministry of Defense (Israel)|Minister of Defense]], [[Moshe Dayan]], "gave the order to go into action against Syria.<ref>{{harvp|Lenczowski|1990|pp=105–115}}, citing Moshe Dayan, ''Story of My Life'', and [[Nadav Safran]], ''From War to War: The Arab–Israeli Confrontation, 1948–1967'', p.&nbsp;375</ref>}}{{Sfnp|Oren|2002e|loc=Section "The War: Day Five, June 9"}} without consultation or government authorization.{{Sfnp|Morris|2001|p=325}}

The Syrian army consisted of about 75,000 men grouped in nine brigades, supported by an adequate amount of artillery and armor. Israeli forces used in combat consisted of two brigades (the [[8th Armored Brigade (Israel)|8th Armored Brigade]] and the [[Golani Brigade]]) in the northern part of the front at [[Givat HaEm]], and another two (infantry and one of Peled's brigades summoned from Jenin) in the center. The Golan Heights' unique terrain (mountainous slopes crossed by parallel streams every several kilometers running east to west), and the general lack of roads in the area channeled both forces along east–west axes of movement and restricted the ability of units to support those on either flank. Thus the Syrians could move north–south on the plateau itself, and the Israelis could move north–south at the base of the Golan escarpment. An advantage Israel possessed was the intelligence collected by [[Mossad]] operative [[Eli Cohen]] (who was captured and executed in Syria in 1965) regarding the Syrian battle positions. Syria had built extensive defensive fortifications in depths up to 15 kilometers.{{Sfnp|Hammel|1992|p=387}}

As opposed to all the other campaigns, IAF was only partially effective in the Golan because the fixed fortifications were so effective. The Syrian forces proved unable to put up effective defense largely because the officers were poor leaders and treated their soldiers badly; often officers would retreat from danger, leaving their men confused and ineffective. The Israelis also had the upper hand during close combat that took place in the numerous Syrian bunkers along the Golan Heights, as they were armed with the [[Uzi]], a [[submachine gun]] designed for close combat, while Syrian soldiers were armed with the heavier [[AK-47]] assault rifle, designed for combat in more open areas.{{citation needed|date=June 2022}}

====Israeli attack: first day (9 June)====
[[File:Israeli tanks advancing on the Golan Heights. June 1967. D327-098.jpg|thumb|right|Israeli tanks advancing on the Golan Heights. June 1967]]

On the morning of 9 June, Israeli jets began carrying out dozens of sorties against Syrian positions from [[Mount Hermon]] to [[Tawafiq, Syria|Tawfiq]], using rockets salvaged from captured Egyptian stocks. The airstrikes knocked out artillery batteries and storehouses and forced transport columns off the roads. The Syrians suffered heavy casualties and a drop in morale, with some senior officers and troops deserting. The attacks also provided time as Israeli forces cleared paths through Syrian minefields. The airstrikes did not seriously damage the Syrians' bunkers and trench systems, and the bulk of Syrian forces on the Golan remained in their positions.{{Sfnp|Oren|2002|p=280}}

About two hours after the airstrikes began, the [[8th Armored Brigade (Israel)|8th Armored Brigade]], led by Colonel [[Albert Mandler]], advanced into the Golan Heights from [[Givat HaEm]]. Its advance was spearheaded by [[Engineering Corps (Israel)|Engineering Corps]] sappers and eight bulldozers, which cleared away barbed wire and mines. As they advanced, the force came under fire, and five bulldozers were immediately hit. The Israeli tanks, with their manoeuvrability sharply reduced by the terrain, advanced slowly under fire toward the fortified village of Sir al-Dib, with their ultimate objective being the fortress at Qala. Israeli casualties steadily mounted.{{Sfnp|Oren|2002|pp=281–282}}

Part of the attacking force lost its way and emerged opposite Za'ura, a redoubt manned by Syrian reservists. With the situation critical, Colonel Mandler ordered simultaneous assaults on Za'ura and Qala. Heavy and confused fighting followed, with Israeli and Syrian tanks struggling around obstacles and firing at extremely short ranges. Mandler recalled that "the Syrians fought well and bloodied us. We beat them only by crushing them under our treads and by blasting them with our cannons at very short range, from 100 to 500 meters." The first three Israeli tanks to enter Qala were stopped by a Syrian bazooka team, and a relief column of seven Syrian tanks arrived to repel the attackers.{{Sfnp|Oren|2002|pp=281–282}}

The Israelis took heavy fire from the houses, but could not turn back, as other forces were advancing behind them, and they were on a narrow path with mines on either side. The Israelis continued pressing forward and called for air support. A pair of Israeli jets destroyed two of the Syrian tanks, and the remainder withdrew. The surviving defenders of Qala retreated after their commander was killed. Meanwhile, Za'ura fell in an Israeli assault, and the Israelis also captured the 'Ein Fit fortress.{{Sfnp|Oren|2002|pp=281–282}}

In the central sector, the Israeli 181st Battalion captured the strongholds of Dardara and Tel Hillal after fierce fighting. Desperate fighting also broke out along the operation's northern axis, where [[Golani Brigade]] attacked thirteen Syrian positions, including the formidable [[Tel Faher|Tel Fakhr]] position. Navigational errors placed the Israelis directly under the Syrians' guns. In the fighting that followed, both sides took heavy casualties, with the Israelis losing all nineteen of their tanks and half-tracks.{{Sfnp|Oren|2002|p=283}} The Israeli battalion commander then ordered his twenty-five remaining men to dismount, divide into two groups, and charge the northern and southern flanks of Tel Fakhr. The first Israelis to reach the perimeter of the southern approach laid on the [[barbed wire]], allowing their comrades to vault over them. From there, they assaulted the fortified Syrian positions. The fighting was waged at extremely close quarters, often hand-to-hand.{{Sfnp|Oren|2002|p=283}}

On the northern flank, the Israelis broke through within minutes and cleared out the trenches and bunkers. During the seven-hour battle, the Israelis lost 31 dead and 82 wounded, while the Syrians lost 62 dead and 20 captured. Among the dead was the Israeli battalion commander. The Golani Brigade's 51st Battalion took Tel 'Azzaziat, and Darbashiya also fell to Israeli forces.{{Sfnp|Oren|2002|p=283}}

[[File:1967-06-09 Egypt Accepts UN Cease-Fire.ogv|thumb|thumbtime=1:16|A [[Universal Newsreel]] from 9 June about the war and UN reactions.]]
By the evening of 9 June, the four Israeli brigades had all broken through to the plateau, where they could be reinforced and replaced. Thousands of reinforcements began reaching the front, those tanks and half-tracks that had survived the previous day's fighting were refuelled and replenished with ammunition, and the wounded were evacuated. By dawn, the Israelis had eight brigades in the sector.{{citation needed|date=June 2022}}

Syria's first line of defense had been shattered, but the defenses beyond that remained largely intact. Mount Hermon and the Banias in the north, and the entire sector between Tawfiq and Customs House Road in the south remained in Syrian hands. In a meeting early on the night of 9 June, Syrian leaders decided to reinforce those positions as quickly as possible and to maintain a steady barrage on Israeli civilian settlements.{{citation needed|date=June 2022}}

====Israeli attack: second day (10 June)====
Throughout the night, the Israelis continued their advance, though it was slowed by fierce resistance. An anticipated Syrian counterattack never materialized. At the fortified village of Jalabina, a garrison of Syrian reservists, levelling their anti-aircraft guns, held off the Israeli 65th Paratroop Battalion for four hours before a small detachment managed to penetrate the village and knock out the heavy guns.{{citation needed|date=June 2022}}

Meanwhile, the 8th Brigade's tanks moved south from Qala, advancing six miles to Wasit under heavy artillery and tank bombardment. At the Banias in the north, Syrian mortar batteries opened fire on advancing Israeli forces only after Golani Brigade sappers cleared a path through a minefield, killing sixteen Israeli soldiers and wounding four.{{citation needed|date=June 2022}}

On the next day, 10 June, the central and northern groups joined in a [[pincer movement]] on the plateau, but that fell mainly on empty territory as the Syrian forces retreated. At 8:30&nbsp;am, the Syrians began blowing up their own bunkers, burning documents and retreating. Several units joined by Elad Peled's troops climbed to the Golan from the south, only to find the positions mostly empty. When the 8th Brigade reached Mansura, five miles from Wasit, the Israelis met no opposition and found abandoned equipment, including tanks, in perfect working condition. In the fortified Banias village, Golani Brigade troops found only several Syrian soldiers chained to their positions.{{Sfnp|Oren|2002|p=295}}

During the day, the Israeli units stopped after obtaining manoeuvre room between their positions and a line of volcanic hills to the west. In some locations, Israeli troops advanced after an agreed-upon cease-fire<ref>{{Cite video |year=1960|title=Video: Cease-Fire. Uneasy Truce In Mid-East, 1967/06/13 (1967) |url=https://archive.org/details/1967-06-13_Cease-Fire|publisher=[[Universal Newsreel]]|access-date=22 February 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130608035234/http://archive.org/details/1967-06-13_Cease-Fire |archive-date=8 June 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> to occupy strategically strong positions.{{Sfnp|Oren|2002e|loc=Section "Playing for the Brink"}} To the east, the ground terrain is an open gently sloping plain. This position later became the cease-fire line known as the "[[Purple Line (border)|Purple Line]]".

''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine reported: "In an effort to pressure the United Nations into enforcing a ceasefire, Damascus Radio undercut its own army by broadcasting the fall of the city of [[Quneitra]] three hours before it actually capitulated. That premature report of the surrender of their headquarters destroyed the morale of the Syrian troops left in the Golan area."<ref>{{Cite news |title=A Campaign for the Books |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=1 September 1967 |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,837237,00.html |access-date=22 July 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101015083148/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,837237,00.html |archive-date=15 October 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref>