List of wars involving Israel

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This is a list of wars and other major military engagements involving Israel. Since its declaration of independence in May 1948, the State of Israel has fought various wars with its neighbouring Arab states, two major Palestinian Arab uprisings known as the First Intifada and the Second Intifada (see Israeli–Palestinian conflict), and a broad series of other armed engagements rooted in the Arab–Israeli conflict.

Contents

Wars and other conflicts

Israel has been involved in a number of wars and large-scale military operations, including:

Table

Conflicts considered as wars by the Israeli Ministry of Defense (as they were named by Israel) are marked in bold. [3]

ConflictCombatant 1Combatant 2ResultsIsraeli commandersIsraeli losses
Israeli Prime Minister Defense Minister of Israel Chief of Staff of the IDF IDF
forces
Civilians
War of Independence
(1947–1949)
Flag of Israel.svg  Israel Flag of Egypt (1922-1958).svg Egypt
Flag of Iraq (1924-1959).svg  Iraq
Flag of Jordan.svg Transjordan
Flag of Syria (1932-1958; 1961-1963).svg Syria
Flag of Lebanon.svg  Lebanon
Saudi Arabia Flag Variant (1938).svg Saudi Arabia
Flag of the Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen.svg  Yemen
Flag of Hejaz (1920).svg Holy War Army
Flag of the Arab League.svg ALA
Victory David Ben-Gurion Yaakov Dori 4,074 [4] ~2,000 [4]
Sinai War
(1956)
Flag of Israel.svg  Israel
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom
Flag of France.svg France
Flag of Egypt (1952-1958).svg Egypt Victory
  • Sinai demilitarized, UNEF deployed.
Moshe Dayan 231None
Six-Day War
(1967)
Flag of Israel.svg  Israel Flag of the United Arab Republic.svg  Egypt
Flag of Syria (1963-1972).svg  Syria
Flag of Jordan.svg  Jordan
Flag of Iraq (1963-1991); Flag of Syria (1963-1972).svg Iraq
Victory Levi Eshkol Moshe Dayan Yitzhak Rabin 77620
War of Attrition
(1967–1970)
Flag of Israel.svg  Israel Flag of the United Arab Republic.svg  Egypt
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union
Flag of Palestine - short triangle.svg PLO
Flag of Jordan.svg  Jordan
Flag of Kuwait.svg  Kuwait
Both sides claimed victory Golda Meir Haim Bar-Lev 1,424 [5] 227 [6]
Yom Kippur War
(1973)
Flag of Israel.svg  Israel Flag of Egypt (1972-1984).svg  Egypt
Flag of Syria (1972-1980).svg  Syria
Flag of Iraq (1963-1991); Flag of Syria (1963-1972).svg Iraq
Flag of Jordan.svg  Jordan
Flag of Algeria.svg  Algeria
Flag of Morocco.svg Morocco
Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg  Saudi Arabia
Victory [7] David Elazar 2,688None [9]
Operation Litani
(1978)
Flag of Israel.svg  Israel
Flag of Lebanon.svg FLA
Flag of Palestine - short triangle.svg PLO Victory
  • PLO retreat from South Lebanon.
Menachem Begin Ezer Weizman Mordechai Gur 18None
First Lebanon War
(1982–1985)
Flag of Israel.svg  Israel
Flag of Lebanon.svg SLA
Flag of Lebanon.svg Lebanese Front
Flag of Palestine - short triangle.svg PLO
Flag of Syria.svg Syria
Flag of Lebanon.svg Jammoul
Flag of the Amal Movement.svg Amal
"Tactical victories, strategic failure" [10]
  • PLO expulsion from Lebanon. [11]
Ariel Sharon Rafael Eitan 6572–3
Security Zone Campaign
(1985–2000)
Flag of Israel.svg  Israel
Flag of Lebanon.svg SLA
InfoboxHez.PNG Hezbollah
Flag of the Amal Movement.svg Amal
Flag of Lebanon.svg Jammoul
Defeat [12]
  • Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon. [13]
Shimon Peres Yitzhak Rabin Moshe Levi 5597
First Intifada
(1987–1993)
Flag of Israel.svg  Israel Flag of Palestine - short triangle.svg UNLU
Flag of Hamas.svg Hamas
Oslo I Accord Yitzhak Shamir Dan Shomron 60100
Second Intifada
(2000–2005)
Flag of Israel.svg  Israel Flag of Palestine - short triangle.svg PA
Flag of Hamas.svg Hamas
Victory
  • Palestinian uprising suppressed. [14]
Ariel Sharon Shaul Mofaz Moshe Ya'alon 301773
Second Lebanon War
(2006)
Flag of Israel.svg  Israel InfoboxHez.PNG Hezbollah Stalemate Ehud Olmert Amir Peretz Dan Halutz 12144
Operation Cast Lead
(2008–2009)
Flag of Israel.svg  Israel Flag of Hamas.svg Hamas Victory Ehud Barak Gabi Ashkenazi 103
Operation Pillar of Defense
(2012)
Flag of Israel.svg  Israel Flag of Hamas.svg Hamas Victory
  • Cessation of rocket fire into Israel.
Benjamin Netanyahu Benny Gantz 24
Operation Protective Edge
(2014)
Flag of Israel.svg  Israel Flag of Hamas.svg Hamas Both sides claim victory Moshe Ya'alon 676
Israel–Palestine crisis

(2021)

Flag of Israel.svg  Israel Flag of Hamas.svg Hamas Both sides claim victory
  • Truce declared
Benny Gantz Aviv Kochavi 114
Operation Iron Swords (2023–present) Flag of Israel.svg Israel Flag of Hamas.svg Hamas
InfoboxHez.PNG Hezbollah
Ansarullah Flag Vector.svg Houthi Movement
Flag of Popular Mobilization Forces.svg Islamic Resistance in Iraq

Flag of Iran.svg Iran

Ongoing Yoav Gallant Herzi Halevi 678+876+

Other armed conflicts involving the IDF

See also

Related Research Articles

This timeline of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict lists events from 1948 to the present. The Israeli–Palestinian conflict emerged from intercommunal conflict in Mandatory Palestine between Palestinian Jews and Arabs, often described as the background to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. The conflict in its modern phase evolved since the declaration of the State of Israel on May 14, 1948 and consequent intervention of Arab armies on behalf of the Palestinian Arabs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Israeli Air Force</span> Aerial service branch of the Israel Defense Forces

The Israeli Air Force operates as the aerial and space warfare branch of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). It was founded on May 28, 1948, shortly after the Israeli Declaration of Independence. As of April 2022, Aluf Tomer Bar has been serving as the Air Force commander.

The history of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) intertwines in its early stages with history of the Haganah.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golani Brigade</span> Infantry brigade of the Israel Defense Forces

The 1st "Golani" Brigade is an Israeli military infantry brigade. It is subordinated to the 36th Division and traditionally associated with the Northern Command. It is one of the five infantry brigades of the regular Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the others being the Paratroopers Brigade, the Nahal Brigade, the Givati Brigade and the Kfir Brigade. Its symbol is a green olive tree against a yellow background, with its soldiers wearing a brown beret. It is one of the most highly decorated infantry units in the IDF. The brigade consists of five battalions, including two which it kept from its inception, one transferred from the Givati Brigade (51st).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict</span>

The history of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict traces back to the late 19th century when Zionists sought to establish a homeland for the Jewish people in Ottoman-controlled Palestine, a region roughly corresponding to the Land of Israel in Jewish tradition. The Balfour Declaration of 1917, issued by the British government, endorsed the idea of a Jewish homeland in Palestine, which led to an influx of Jewish immigrants to the region. Following World War II and the Holocaust, international pressure mounted for the establishment of a Jewish state in Palestine, leading to the creation of Israel in 1948.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palestinian political violence</span> Violence by Palestinian nationalists

Palestinian political violence refers to actions carried out by Palestinians with the intent to achieve political objectives that can involve the use of force, some of which are considered acts of terror, and often carried out in the context of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict and the Israeli occupation. Common objectives of political violence by Palestinian groups include self-determination in and sovereignty over Palestine, or the "liberation of Palestine" and recognition of a Palestinian state, either in place of both Israel and the Palestinian territories, or solely in the Palestinian territories. This includes the objective of ending the Israeli occupation. More limited goals include the release of Palestinian prisoners or the Palestinian right of return.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palestine Liberation Army</span> Semi-independent military branch of Palestine Liberation Organization

The Palestine Liberation Army is ostensibly the military wing of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), set up at the 1964 Arab League summit held in Alexandria, Egypt, with the mission of fighting Israel. However, it has never been under effective PLO control, but rather it has been controlled by its various host governments, usually Syria. Even though it initially operated in several countries, the present-day PLA is only active in Syria and recruits male Palestinian refugees.

The Arab–Israeli conflict began in the 20th century, evolving from earlier Intercommunal violence in Mandatory Palestine. The conflict became a major international issue with the birth of Israel in 1948. The Arab–Israeli conflict has resulted in at least five major wars and a number of minor conflicts. It has also been the source of two major Palestinian uprisings (intifadas).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arab–Israeli conflict</span> Geopolitical conflict in the Middle East and North Africa

The Arab–Israeli conflict is the phenomenon involving political tension, military conflicts, and other disputes between various Arab countries and Israel, which escalated during the 20th century. The roots of the Arab–Israeli conflict have been attributed to the support by Arab League member countries for the Palestinians, a fellow League member, in the ongoing Israeli–Palestinian conflict; this in turn has been attributed to the simultaneous rise of Zionism and Arab nationalism towards the end of the 19th century, though the two national movements had not clashed until the 1920s.

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Israeli casualties of war, in addition to those of Israel's nine major wars, include 9,745 soldiers and security forces personnel killed in "miscellaneous engagements and terrorist attacks", which includes security forces members killed during military operations, by fighting crime, natural disasters, diseases, traffic or labor accidents and disabled veterans whose disabilities contributed to their deaths. Between 1948 and 1997, 20,093 Israeli soldiers were killed in combat, 75,000 Israelis were wounded, and nearly 100,000 Israelis were considered disabled army veterans. On the other hand, in 2010 Yom Hazikaron, Israel honored the memory of 22,684 Israeli soldiers and pre-Israeli Palestinian Jews killed since 1860 in the line of duty for the independence, preservation and protection of the nation, and 3,971 civilian terror victims. The memorial roll, in addition to IDF members deceased, also include fallen members of the Shin Bet security service, the Mossad intelligence service, the Israel Police, the Border Police, the Israel Prisons Service, other Israeli security forces, the pre-state Jewish underground, and the Jewish Brigade and the Jewish Legion.

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The Arab–Israeli war normally refers to:

Arab–Israeli relations refers to relations between Israel and Arab nations. Israel's relations with the Arab world are overshadowed by the Arab–Israeli conflict and the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. Israel has been at war with Arab states on several occasions. Furthermore, a large majority of states within the Arab League do not recognize Israel, and Israelis and Jews in general are considered a frequent target of antisemitism in the Arab world. After several Arab-Israeli wars, Egypt was the first Arab state to recognize Israel diplomatically in 1979 with the signing of the Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty. It was followed by Jordan with the Israel-Jordan Peace Treaty in 1994. In 2020, four more Arab states normalized relations. There have also been talks of an emerging Arab–Israeli alliance against Iran.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Israeli Ground Forces</span> Land service branch of the Israel Defense Forces

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In 1948, following the 1947–1948 civil war in Mandatory Palestine, the Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel sparked the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, which resulted in the 1948 Palestinian expulsion and flight from the land that the State of Israel came to control and subsequently led to waves of Jewish immigration from other parts of the Middle East.

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to the Wikipedia articles available about the Israel–Hamas war. It is an evolving list.

References

  1. "Q&A: Israel-Gaza violence". BBC News. 19 November 2012.
  2. "Israel and Hamas Trade Attacks as Tension Rises". The New York Times. Retrieved 8 July 2014.
  3. Israeli military decorations by campaign
  4. 1 2 Sandler, Stanley (2002). Ground Warfare: An International Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO. p. 160. ISBN   9781576073445.
  5. Lorch, Netanel (2 September 2003). "The Arab-Israeli Wars". Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Archived from the original on 9 March 2007. Retrieved 3 March 2007.
  6. Schiff, Zeev, A History of the Israeli Army (1870–1974), Straight Arrow Books (San Francisco, 1974) p. 246, ISBN   0-87932-077-X
  7. References:
    • Herzog, The War of Atonement, Little, Brown and Company, 1975. Forward
    • Insight Team of the London Sunday Times, Yom Kippur War, Doubleday and Company, Inc, 1974, page 450
    • Luttwak and Horowitz, The Israeli Army. Cambridge, Massachusetts, Abt Books, 1983
    • Rabinovich, The Yom Kippur War, Schocken Books, 2004. Page 498
    • Revisiting The Yom Kippur War, P. R. Kumaraswamy, pages 1–2 ISBN   0-313-31302-4
    • Johnson and Tierney, Failing To Win, Perception of Victory and Defeat in International Politics. Page 177
    • Charles Liebman, The Myth of Defeat: The Memory of the Yom Kippur war in Israeli Society [ permanent dead link ]Middle Eastern Studies, Vol 29, No. 3, July 1993. Published by Frank Cass, London. Page 411.
  8. Loyola, Mario (7 October 2013). "How We Used to Do It – American diplomacy in the". National Review . p. 1. Retrieved 2 December 2013.
  9. Siniver, Asaf. "Introduction." In The Yom Kippur War: Politics, Legacy, Diplomacy, 5. Oxford University Press.
  10. Eligar Sadeh Militarization and State Power in the Arab–Israeli Conflict: Case Study of Israel, 1948–1982 Universal-Publishers, 1997 p.119.
  11. References:
    • Armies in Lebanon 1982–84, Samuel Katz and Lee E. Russell, Osprey Men-At-Arms series No. 165, 1985
    • Hirst, David (2010). Beware of Small States. NationBooks. pp. 144–145. ISBN   978-1-56858-657-1. In time, however, Arafat and his guerrilla leadership decided that they would have to withdraw, leaving no military and very little political or symbolic presence behind. Their enemy's firepower and overall strategic advantage were too great and it was apparently ready to use them to destroy the whole city over the heads of its inhabitants. The rank and file did not like this decision, and there were murmurings of 'treason' from some of Arafat's harsher critics. Had they not already held out, far longer than any Arab country in any former war, against all that the most powerful army in the Middle East – and the fourth most powerful in the world, according to Sharon – could throw against them? (...) But [Palestinians] knew that, if they expected too much, they could easily lose [Lebanese Muslim support] again. 'If this had been Jerusalem', they said, 'we would have stayed to the end. But Beirut is not outs to destroy.
  12. Helmer, Daniel Isaac. Flipside of the Coin: Israel's Lebanese Incursion Between 1982–2000. DIANE Publishing, 2010.
  13. References:
  14. Sources: