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  Kingdom of 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 776–98320
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 /
Operation Peace for Galilee

(1982)
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
(1982–2000)
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 /
Operation Just Reward

(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 Iraq.svg Islamic Resistance in Iraq

Flag of Iran.svg Iran

Ongoing Yoav Gallant (until November 2024)

Israel Katz (currently)

Herzi Halevi 882+953+
Operation Northern Arrows (2024–present) Flag of Israel.svg Israel InfoboxHez.PNG Hezbollah Ongoing58+19+

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

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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">Palestinian political violence</span> Political violence by Palestinians

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

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

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Events in the year 2004 in Israel.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine</span> Palestinian Marxist–Leninist organization

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

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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: