Six-Day War

==== Advance on Arish ====
[[File:6 Day War-Amos.jpg|thumb|Israeli reconnaissance forces from the "Shaked" unit in Sinai during the war]]

On 5 June, with the road open, Israeli forces continued advancing towards [[Arish]]. Already by late afternoon, elements of the 79th Armored Battalion had charged through the {{convert|7|mi|adj=on|order=flip}}-long Jiradi defile, a narrow pass defended by well-emplaced troops of the Egyptian 112th Infantry Brigade. In fierce fighting, which saw the pass change hands several times, the Israelis charged through the position. The Egyptians suffered heavy casualties and tank losses, while Israeli losses stood at 66 dead, 93 wounded and 28 tanks. Emerging at the western end, Israeli forces advanced to the outskirts of Arish.{{Sfnp|Oren|2002|p=181}} As it reached the outskirts of Arish, Tal's division also consolidated its hold on Rafah and Khan Yunis.

The following day, 6 June, the Israeli forces on the outskirts of Arish were reinforced by the 7th Brigade, which fought its way through the Jiradi pass. After receiving supplies via an airdrop, the Israelis entered the city and captured the airport at 7:50&nbsp;am. The Israelis entered the city at 8:00&nbsp;am. Company commander [[Yossi Peled]] recounted that "Al-Arish was totally quiet, desolate. Suddenly, the city turned into a madhouse. Shots came at us from every alley, every corner, every window and house." An IDF record stated that "clearing the city was hard fighting. The Egyptians fired from the rooftops, from balconies and windows. They dropped grenades into our half-tracks and blocked the streets with trucks. Our men threw the grenades back and crushed the trucks with their tanks."{{Sfnp|Oren|2002|p=202}}<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.israeli-weapons.com/history/six_day_war/SixDayWar.html |title=Six Day War |publisher=Israeli-weapons|access-date=1 February 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120206185516/http://www.israeli-weapons.com/history/six_day_war/SixDayWar.html |archive-date=6 February 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> Gonen sent additional units to Arish, and the city was eventually taken.

Brigadier-General [[Avraham Yoffe]]'s assignment was to penetrate Sinai south of Tal's forces and north of Sharon's. Yoffe's attack allowed Tal to complete the capture of the Jiradi defile, Khan Yunis. All of them were taken after fierce fighting. Gonen subsequently dispatched a force of tanks, infantry and engineers under Colonel Yisrael Granit to continue down the Mediterranean coast towards the [[Suez Canal]], while a second force led by Gonen himself turned south and captured Bir Lahfan and Jabal Libni.{{cn|date=June 2022}}