Battles of the Sinai (1948)

Battles of Sinai
Part of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War
Date 28 December 1948 – 2 January 1949 Location Sinai Peninsula, Egypt Result Israeli victories Retreat because of political considerations
Belligerents
Egypt	Israel

The Battles of the Sinai refer to a series of military engagements between the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Egyptian Army fought in the Sinai Peninsula in December 1948 – January 1949, as part of the Israeli Operation Horev. The IDF's Southern Command, under Yigal Allon, concentrated forces to push into the Sinai following their success in the Battle of Bir 'Asluj and the Battle of 'Auja.

Forces from the Negev and 8th brigades entered the Sinai on December 28 and at night captured Umm Katef and Abu Ageila, about 25km inside Egyptian territory. They continued north to al-Arish, which Allon planned to capture, in order to encircle the Egyptian expeditionary force in Palestine and end the war. However, due to political and diplomatic considerations, all Israeli forces retreated from the Sinai on January 2, 1949. Another attempt to encircle the Egyptian forces was made on the next day in the Battle of Rafah. Still, Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion ordered the IDF to turn back, ending military engagements in the war.