Battle of Jerusalem (1967)

Early on 7 June 1967

Early on 7 June 1967, Israeli defence minister Moshe Dayan ordered Mordechai "Motta" Gur's 55th Reserve Paratroopers Brigade to enter Jerusalem's walled Old City, which Jordan had controlled since 1948.

Israeli forces had encircled the Old City the previous day. Dayan, who had initially opposed going in, authorized it after learning that a UN-backed ceasefire might soon halt further advances — while warning against damage to holy places.

The paratroopers entered through Lions' Gate, overcame the remaining Jordanian resistance and reached the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif and the Western Wall. In Gur's postwar debriefing, less than ten minutes separated the order from the arrival at the Temple Mount.

No armour inside the walls

Israeli forces used no tanks, artillery or aircraft inside the Old City because of the danger to its densely concentrated holy sites. That restriction applied within the walls; armour and artillery were used elsewhere in the wider battle for Jerusalem.

The action was not bloodless — paratroopers fought Jordanian defenders with infantry weapons. A contemporary UPI dispatch reported residents displaying surrender flags and an Israeli military chaplain blowing a shofar as the Jordanian-held Old City fell.

By nightfall

The Old City and the rest of East Jerusalem were under Israeli military control, ending Jordanian rule there after nineteen years of division. Israeli sources call this the liberation or reunification of Jerusalem; Palestinian, UN and most international accounts describe Israel's capture and occupation of East Jerusalem.

Israel appointed a military governor for the West Bank, including Old Jerusalem, by 9 June. Within days the Mughrabi Quarter beside the Western Wall was demolished to create a plaza, displacing approximately 650 people according to the Institute for Palestine Studies document collection.