Battles of the Sinai

Battle context

The Battles of the Sinai formed part of Operation Horev, the final major Israeli offensive of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, directed against Egyptian forces. Following Israeli successes at the Battle of Bir 'Asluj and the Battle of 'Auja, the IDF's Southern Command under Yigal Allon pushed into the Sinai Peninsula itself, extending operations beyond the territory that would become Israel. The advance into Sinai represented an escalation in geographic scope, pressing Egyptian forces on ground outside the original theater of the war and increasing pressure on Egypt at a critical late stage of the conflict.