Naksa Day
The June 1967 war, or Naksa Day, is the Arabic name for the war that Israel launched against Egypt, Syria,
and Jordan on June 5, 1967.
The spark of the first war broke out, after the Israeli Air Force launched an attack on the Egyptian Air
Force bases in the Sinai, on June 5, 1967.
This war, which resulted in the defeat of the Arab armies, lasted 6 days.
Israel called this war “The Six Days”, out of its pride in the short period in which it defeated the Arabs.
The war resulted in the deaths of about 20,000 Arabs and 800 Israelis.
During the war, according to historical studies, Israel destroyed an estimated 70 to 80 percent of the
military equipment of the Arab countries, while 2 to 5 percent of its military hardware was damaged.
During the six days, Israel occupied the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, the Egyptian Sinai Peninsula, and the
Syrian Golan Heights.
According to Palestinian statistics, the “Nakba” led to the displacement of about 300,000 Palestinians
from the West Bank and the occupied Gaza Strip. Most of them immigrated to Jordan.
The 1967 war ended militarily, but its political and geographical consequences are not over yet, as Israel
continues to occupy the West Bank, besiege the Gaza Strip, and annex Jerusalem and the Golan to its borders.
According to Palestinian reports, Israel seizes 85 percent of the lands of historic Palestine, amounting to
about 27,000 square kilometers, and continues to loot its components, while the Palestinians are left with
only about 15 percent, and are subject to Israeli occupation.
Months after the war, specifically in November, the United Nations issued UN Resolution 242 which called
for Israel’s withdrawal from the territories occupied in the war in exchange for a lasting peace.
This decision became the basis for diplomatic efforts between Israel and its neighbors, including the Camp David Accords with Egypt and pressure for a two-state solution with the Palestinians.