Egypt marking 1st 1973 victory anniversary since Gaza war: Peace calls, warnings

CAIRO – 6 October 2024: For the past five decades, Egypt has honored the anniversary of the October 6, 1973 War with pride, celebrating the heroic acts and sacrifices of the Armed Forces, supported by the people.

This year marks the first time Egypt is observing the occasion since the beginning of the Israeli war in Gaza on October 7, which has killed over 41,800 people and injured more than 97,100 others amid international failure to put an end to Israeli hostilities.

Egypt has pursued peace through the October war, rejecting the status quo and international pressures imposed on Egyptians following the 1967 war fought by Israel against Arab forces, resulting in significant damage to Egypt's military capabilities.

1973 war events

The October War was a joint effort by Egypt and Syria, supported by military, political, and economic backing from Arab nations against Israel in 1973.

The war began on Saturday, October 6, 1973, corresponding to the 10th of Ramadan 1393 AH, with a surprise attack by Egyptian and Syrian forces on Israeli positions in the Sinai Peninsula and the Golan Heights.

Referred to as the Yom Kippur War in Israel, the war witnessed strategic gains by the Egyptian and Syrian armies through their surprise attacks, with Egyptian forces advancing 20 km east of the Suez Canal and Syrian forces making significant progress in the Golan Heights.

As the war progressed, the Israeli military regrouped; on the Egyptian front, they executed the Deversoir operation, causing Egypt and Israel to face setbacks in the west bank of the canal and the Golan Heights.

During the war, major powers indirectly intervened. The Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia provided military support to Syria and Egypt, while the United States supplied Israel with military aid.

Ultimately, US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger mediated a ceasefire agreement between Syria and Israel. Egypt and Israel later negotiated a comprehensive peace agreement at Camp David in 1979.

The war officially ended with the signing of the Disengagement Agreement on 31 May, 1974.

As part of the agreement, Israel returned the city of Quneitra to Syria and the eastern bank of the Suez Canal to Egypt in exchange for the withdrawal of Egyptian and Syrian forces from the ceasefire line, with the establishment of a UN peacekeeping force to oversee the agreement.

Key outcomes of the war included Egypt regaining full control of the Suez Canal, reclaiming all territories in the Sinai Peninsula, and restoring parts of the Syrian Golan Heights, including Quneitra, to Syrian sovereignty.

Moreover, the war dispelled the notion of Israel's invincibility, setting the stage for the Camp David Accords between Egypt and Israel in September 1978.

The war also led to the resumption of navigation in the Suez Canal in June 1975.

Messages of peace, warnings

With the Gaza war marking its first anniversary on Monday, Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has called for a pursuit of "just peace" across the region.

“This watershed moment our region is currently experiencing demands a renewed commitment to just and equitable peace as the only path to lasting and safe coexistence among the peoples of the region,” remarked President Sisi during the celebration of the recent graduation from Egyptian military colleges ahead of the 51st anniversary of the October War.

He cautioned that any escalation, violence, or destruction would deepen the region's challenges and exacerbate both regional and international tensions, ultimately undermining the aspirations of all individuals striving for security, peace, and prosperity.

Egypt has consistently advocated for a ceasefire in Gaza and the implementation of a two-state solution based on the borders of June 4, 1967, as the fundamental means to achieve a just and stable peace in the region.

Egypt has supported UN resolutions urging for a ceasefire in Gaza, engaged in mediation efforts alongside Qatar and the United States to broker a sustainable truce between Israel and Hamas, and endorsed the establishment of an independent Palestinian state in various global forums.

However, Egypt has also issued warnings against any endeavors to undermine the Palestinian cause, particularly by coercing Gazan Palestinians to flee across the border into Egypt, categorizing such Israeli tactics as a "red line" that should not be crossed.

Meanwhile, Egypt’s Minister of Labor Mohamed Gobran has called for Arab countries to stand united in light of the recent threatening statements by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to all countries in the Middle East.

Speaking in a video released by his office last week, Netanyahu said that there is nowhere in the Middle East beyond Israel's reach.

Gobran stated during the 101st session of the Board of Directors of the Arab Labor Organization (ALO) hosted by Cairo last week, “As we are on the verge of celebrating the glorious October victory, this triumph sends a message that the Arab world is capable of defending its rights.”