Israel’s Territory Before & After The Six-Day War In 1967

Map found on redditThe map above shows the Israel’s colossal gains in territory as a result of the the Six-Day War In 1967.

Here’s more about how big they were, how they got them and what to happened to them in the decades since:

Israel’s Size Before the War (June 5, 1967)

• Area: ~20,770 square kilometers (~8,020 square miles)
• Borders: Defined roughly by the 1949 Armistice Lines (“Green Line”).
• Neighbors:
  • Egypt (controlled Gaza Strip)
  • Jordan (controlled West Bank and East Jerusalem)
  • Syria (controlled Golan Heights)

Territory Gained After the War (June 11, 1967)

In just six days, Israel captured significant territory from three neighbouring Arab states:

Territory	Captured From	Area (approx.)	Strategic Significance
Sinai Peninsula	Egypt	~60,000 km² (23,000 mi²)	Buffer between Israel and Egypt; access to the Suez Canal
Gaza Strip	Egypt	~360 km² (140 mi²)	Dense Palestinian population center
West Bank (incl. East Jerusalem)	Jordan	~5,860 km² (2,260 mi²)	Included Old City of Jerusalem; biblical heartland
Golan Heights	Syria	~1,200 km² (460 mi²)	Strategic high ground overlooking northern Israel

Total new territory: ~67,000 km² (25,870 mi²)

That means Israel’s total area more than tripled: from about 21,000 km² to nearly 88,000 km².

How Israel Gained the Territory

The Six-Day War began as a pre-emptive strike:

• Egypt closed the Straits of Tiran, expelled UN peacekeepers, and massed troops in Sinai.
• Israel launched air strikes that destroyed most of Egypt’s air force on the ground.
• Jordan and Syria joined the war shortly after.
• Israel rapidly advanced on all fronts:
  • Sinai and Gaza: Taken from Egypt.
  • West Bank and East Jerusalem: Taken from Jordan.
  • Golan Heights: Taken from Syria.

What Happened to the Territories Afterward

Territory	Post-1967 Outcome
Sinai Peninsula	Returned to Egypt under the 1979 Camp David Accords (completed by 1982).
Gaza Strip	Remained under Israeli military control until 2005, when Israel unilaterally withdrew. Since 2007, Gaza has been governed by Hamas and now militarily occupied by Israel.
West Bank	Still under Israeli occupation, though parts are governed by the Palestinian Authority (since the 1990s Oslo Accords). Israeli settlements continue to expand.
East Jerusalem	Annexed by Israel in 1980 (not internationally recognized). Israel considers all of Jerusalem its capital.
Golan Heights	Annexed by Israel in 1981. Recognized by the U.S. in 2019, but not by most other countries.

Watch the war:

More about the Six-Day War:

• Six Days of War: June 1967 and the Making of the Modern Middle East
• Six-Day War: A History from Beginning to End
• The Lion’s Gate: On the Front Lines of the Six Day War