Between June 5 and June 10, 1967, there was a major struggle that changed the course of Middle Eastern and Israeli history: the Six-Day War. Israel and other Arab countries, including Egypt, Jordan, and Syria, fought most of it.

Long-standing regional conflicts, including disagreements over borders, water rights, and Palestinian aspirations for self-determination, were at the basis of the conflict. The decision by Egypt to bar Israeli ships from the Straits of Tiran and the concentration of Arab forces on Israel’s borders served as the immediate catalyst.

Israel launched a preemptive strike against the Egyptian Air Force, crippling it in a couple of hours in a remarkable display of military strength. The war’s tone was set by this action, which saw Israel easily defeat its Arab foes. Israel seized the Sinai Peninsula, the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, East Jerusalem, the Golan Heights, and the Jordanian West Bank in under six days.

Long-lasting effects of the Six-Day War include Israel’s ongoing occupation of Palestinian areas, which is still a sensitive topic today. The Six-Day War changed the Middle East’s political landscape.