Since 1947, the Middle East has seen a number of large-scale wars that have had a profound impact on the political landscape of the region. Here are some of the major wars:
The war was the first military conflict after the establishment of the State of Israel. The League of Arab States launched a military attack on the newly formed Israel. The war has caused some 960,000 Palestinians to flee their homes and become refugees.
The war was a military operation by Israel, Britain and France against Egypt to regain control of the Suez Canal and remove Egyptian ** Nasser.
This is Israel's conflict with Egypt, Jordan and Syria. In just six days, Israel achieved a decisive victory, occupying territory including the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, the Golan Heights and the Sinai Peninsula.
The war was a surprise attack by Egypt and Syria on Israel with the aim of regaining territory lost in the Six-Day War.
The war was an Israeli military invasion of Lebanon with the aim of expelling the Palestine Liberation Organization.
The war is a conflict between Israel and Hamas.
These wars have not only changed the political landscape of the Middle East, but have also had a profound impact on global politics. While these wars have brought about profound humanitarian crises, they have also given rise to some important peace processes, such as the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty. However, peace in the Middle East remains fragile, and conflicts and instability continue to occur from time to time.
Here are the basics of each war:
The 1948 Arab-Israeli WarThe war, also known as the "Palestinian War" or Israel's "War of Independence," broke out in 1948 as a result of Arab rejection of the United Nations resolution on the independence of Palestine and Israel, and an attempt by force to eliminate the newly declared independent state of Israel. On May 14, 1948, Israel declared its independence, and immediately received armed intervention from five Arab countries: Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon. The war lasted almost a year, and after many ceasefires and negotiations, a ceasefire agreement was finally signed in early 1949, ending the war.
The Suez Canal crisis of 1956The Suez Canal crisis of 1956 was a major crisis in the Middle East in the mid-20th century, with far-reaching consequences. The crisis was triggered by Nasser's nationalization of the Suez Canal Company on July 26, 1956, which was largely owned by British and French shareholders. At the same time, Egypt blocked the Gulf of Aqaba, affecting Israel's access to the Red Sea. In response, Israel, France, and Britain developed a secret plan in Sèvres in which Israel launched a military operation against Egypt to provide a pretext for Britain and France to seize the canal.
The Six-Day War of 1967On June 5, 1967, the Israeli Air Force preemptively attacked Egypt's main air base, then turned around and attacked Jordan and Syria, winning a resounding victory in just six days. This blitzkrieg became known as the "Six-Day War" in Israel and the Western world, and the "June War" in the Arab world.
1973 Yom Kippur War: The Yom Kippur War took place from October 6 to October 26, 1973, and originated when Egypt and Syria attacked the Sinai Peninsula and the Golan Heights, which were occupied by Israel six years earlier. The Ethiopian-Syrian coalition prevailed in the first day or two of the war, but then the tide of the war reversed. By the second week, Syrian troops had withdrawn from the Golan Heights. On the Sinai side, Israeli forces crossed the Suez Canal, the original ceasefire line, under attack between the two armies, until the United Nations ceasefire order came into effect.
The 1982 Lebanese WarThis war, also known as the Fifth Middle East War, broke out on June 6, 1982. After its ambassador to the United Kingdom was seriously wounded by Palestinian gunmen**, Israel launched a large-scale offensive against the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Syrian army in Lebanon with more than 100,000 troops from the army, navy and air force, occupying the southern half of Lebanon in a matter of days.
Israeli-Hamas war in 2023: An Israeli soldier walks out of a police station attacked by Hamas militants in Sderot, Israel, October 8, 2023 local time. The Associated Press reported that demonstrators accused Netanyahu of trying to seize power, causing a stir in Israeli society and sparking unrest within the Israeli army. In order to force judicial reform, hundreds of reservists threatened to refuse to be drafted, and some middle- and lower-level officers also participated.