Yom Kippur War Books

About Yom Kippur War

The Yom Kippur War, also known as the October War, was fought in 1973 between Israel and a coalition of Arab states led by Egypt and Syria. The war began on October 6, during the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur and the Muslim month of Ramadan, with a surprise attack by Egyptian and Syrian forces. Egypt crossed the Suez Canal and breached the Bar Lev Line, while Syria launched an offensive on the Golan Heights. The initial Arab advances caught Israel off guard, but Israeli counteroffensives eventually pushed back both fronts. Fierce tank battles, air combat, and artillery duels ensued, with massive casualties on both sides. The war reached a critical point when Israeli forces encircled Egypt’s Third Army and advanced toward Damascus. International pressure—particularly from the United States and Soviet Union—led to a ceasefire brokered by the United Nations. Although tactically a draw, the war was a strategic turning point. It shattered Israeli invincibility, revitalized Arab morale, and prompted a shift in U.S. Middle East policy. It also set the stage for the Camp David Accords and the eventual peace treaty between Egypt and Israel. The war remains one of the most significant and traumatic episodes in modern Middle Eastern history.