June 5–6, 1967 · Sinai Peninsula / Gaza Strip Theater
June 5–6, 1967
The Rafah Junction was a critical Egyptian defensive node controlling the roads connecting Gaza to the Sinai interior. Yoffe's division, operating between Tal's northern axis and Sharon's central axis, attacked through the sand dunes that Egyptian commanders had considered impassable — routing his armor through terrain the enemy had not prepared to defend. Israeli tanks breached the perimeter of Rafah at night in a fighting advance that shocked Egyptian defenders who had not anticipated armor in the dunes. The junction fell by morning, isolating the Gaza Strip from the Sinai.
Commanders