6th October 1973 : Yom Kippur War begins when Egyptian and Syrian forces attack Israel

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The Yom Kippur War, also known as the October War or Ramadan War, was planned by Egypt’s President Anwar Sadat and Syria’s President Hafez al-Assad as an opportunity to regain territory lost to Israel in the Six-Day War of 1967.

On Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, the Arab coalition’s coordinated strikes were launched on Israeli positions. Egyptian forces crossed the Suez Canal and established a bridgehead, while Syrian troops launched an offensive in the Golan Heights. Although Israeli troops faced initial difficulties in responding to the surprise attacks, they halted the Egyptian advance after three days and soon began a counter-offensive that crossed the Suez Canal south of Ismailia while in Syria their artillery began shelling the outskirts of Damascus.

The war strained relations between the United States and the Soviet Union, both of whom supported their respective allies in the region with supplies. Although the United Nations passed a resolution to bring about a ceasefire on 22 October, fighting continued for another four days.

The Yom Kippur War left a lasting impact on the region. While no decisive victory was achieved by either side, the war prompted increased efforts towards peace negotiations such as 1978’s Camp David Accords that led to the return of the entire Sinai Peninsula to Egypt in return for peace. This was followed the next year by the Egyptian–Israeli peace treaty, which was the first time an Arab country recognised Israel as a legitimate state.