The Yom Kippur War began on October 6, 1973 when the combined armies of Egypt and Syria attacked Israel in the Suez Canal area and the Golan Heights. After a few days of hard fighting in which Egypt established itself on the eastern side of the Suez Canal and the Syrians captured most of the Golan Heights, a counter-attack by IDF forces succeeded in pushing back some of the Egyptian forces, crossing the Canal and reaching a point just 101 kilometers (62 miles) from Cairo.

 

A cease-fire agreement was signed by Israel and Egypt on October 24, 1973. A separation of-forces agreement was signed on January 18, 1974 in which the sides agreed to observe the cease-fire, made arrangements for the reduction of forces and established a UN emergency force in the demilitarized zone.

 

Israeli forces withdrew to a distance of 20 kilometers east of the Suez Canal, and the Egyptian army withdrew most of its forces to the west of the Canal.