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Purple Line (border)
Encyclopedia
The purple line was the ceasefire
line between Israel
and Syria
after the 1967 Six Day War.
withdrew from Palestine
as Israel declared its independence. Syrian forces participated in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War
between Arab forces and the newly established State of Israel. In 1949, armistice agreements
were signed and a provisional border between Syria and Israel was delineated (based on the 1923 international border; see San Remo conference
). Syrian and Israeli forces clashed on numerous occasions in the spring of 1951. The hostilities, which stemmed from Syrian opposition to an Israeli drainage project in the demilitarized zone, ceased on May 15, after intercession by the United Nations Security Council
.
In June 1967 after battling Syria, Jordan
and Egypt
in the Six Day War, Israel captured the entire length of the Golan Heights including its principal city Quneitra
. The resulting ceasefire line (dubbed the "Purple Line" as it was drawn on the UN's maps) was supervised by a series of positions and observation posts manned by observers of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organisation and became the new effective border between Israel and Syria.
In a surprise attack consisting of a massive armoured
thrust, the Syrians crossed the Purple Line into the Golan Heights during the 1973 Yom Kippur War
. After several days of very heavy fighting on the Golan they were pushed back deeper into Syria and Israel conquered further territory inside Syria beyond the Purple Line by the time a ceasefire
was reached. In the disengagements negotiations after the war, Israel
and Syria
agreed on May 31, 1974 to pull back their respective forces on the Golan Heights to the Purple Line.
On the same day, a United Nations
buffer zone was set up and the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force Zone
(UNDOF) was established by the United Nations
after the adoption of UN Security Council
Resolution 350
.
Ceasefire
A ceasefire is a temporary stoppage of a war in which each side agrees with the other to suspend aggressive actions. Ceasefires may be declared as part of a formal treaty, but they have also been called as part of an informal understanding between opposing forces...
line between Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
and Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
after the 1967 Six Day War.
History
Syria gained independence from France in 1946 and on May 14, 1948 the BritishUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
withdrew from Palestine
Palestine (mandate)
The British Mandate for Palestine, also known as the Palestine Mandate, The British Mandate of Palestine and the Mandate for Palestine, was a legal commission for the administration of Palestine, the draft of which was formally confirmed by the Council of the League of Nations on 24 July 1922 and...
as Israel declared its independence. Syrian forces participated in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War
1948 Arab-Israeli War
The 1948 Arab–Israeli War, known to Israelis as the War of Independence or War of Liberation The war commenced after the termination of the British Mandate for Palestine and the creation of an independent Israel at midnight on 14 May 1948 when, following a period of civil war, Arab armies invaded...
between Arab forces and the newly established State of Israel. In 1949, armistice agreements
1949 Armistice Agreements
The 1949 Armistice Agreements are a set of agreements signed during 1949 between Israel and neighboring Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria. The agreements ended the official hostilities of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, and established armistice lines between Israeli forces and the forces in...
were signed and a provisional border between Syria and Israel was delineated (based on the 1923 international border; see San Remo conference
San Remo conference
The San Remo Conference was an international meeting of the post-World War I Allied Supreme Council, held in Sanremo, Italy, from 19 to 26 April 1920. It was attended by the four Principal Allied Powers of World War I who were represented by the prime ministers of Britain , France and Italy and...
). Syrian and Israeli forces clashed on numerous occasions in the spring of 1951. The hostilities, which stemmed from Syrian opposition to an Israeli drainage project in the demilitarized zone, ceased on May 15, after intercession by the United Nations Security Council
United Nations Security Council
The United Nations Security Council is one of the principal organs of the United Nations and is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security. Its powers, outlined in the United Nations Charter, include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of...
.
In June 1967 after battling Syria, Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
and Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
in the Six Day War, Israel captured the entire length of the Golan Heights including its principal city Quneitra
Quneitra
Quneitra is the largely destroyed and abandoned capital of the Quneitra Governorate in south-western Syria. It is situated in a high valley in the Golan Heights at an elevation of 1,010 metres above sea level...
. The resulting ceasefire line (dubbed the "Purple Line" as it was drawn on the UN's maps) was supervised by a series of positions and observation posts manned by observers of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organisation and became the new effective border between Israel and Syria.
Armoured warfare
Armoured warfare or tank warfare is the use of armoured fighting vehicles in modern warfare. It is a major component of modern methods of war....
thrust, the Syrians crossed the Purple Line into the Golan Heights during the 1973 Yom Kippur War
Yom Kippur War
The Yom Kippur War, Ramadan War or October War , also known as the 1973 Arab-Israeli War and the Fourth Arab-Israeli War, was fought from October 6 to 25, 1973, between Israel and a coalition of Arab states led by Egypt and Syria...
. After several days of very heavy fighting on the Golan they were pushed back deeper into Syria and Israel conquered further territory inside Syria beyond the Purple Line by the time a ceasefire
Ceasefire
A ceasefire is a temporary stoppage of a war in which each side agrees with the other to suspend aggressive actions. Ceasefires may be declared as part of a formal treaty, but they have also been called as part of an informal understanding between opposing forces...
was reached. In the disengagements negotiations after the war, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
and Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
agreed on May 31, 1974 to pull back their respective forces on the Golan Heights to the Purple Line.
On the same day, a United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
buffer zone was set up and the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force Zone
United Nations Disengagement Observer Force Zone
The United Nations Disengagement Observer Force Zone was established by United Nations Security Council Resolution 350 on 31 May 1974, to implement Resolution 338 which called for an immediate ceasefire and implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 242.The resolution was passed...
(UNDOF) was established by the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
after the adoption of UN Security Council
United Nations Security Council
The United Nations Security Council is one of the principal organs of the United Nations and is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security. Its powers, outlined in the United Nations Charter, include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of...
Resolution 350
United Nations Security Council Resolution 350
United Nations Security Council Resolution 350, adopted on 31 May 1974, established the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force, to monitor the ceasefire between Israel and Syria in the wake of the Yom Kippur War...
.
See also
- Green Line (Israel)Green Line (Israel)Green Line refers to the demarcation lines set out in the 1949 Armistice Agreements between Israel and its neighbours after the 1948 Arab-Israeli War...
- Green Line (Lebanon)Green Line (Lebanon)The Green Line was a line of demarcation in Beirut, Lebanon during the Lebanese Civil War from 1975 to 1990. It separated the mainly Muslim factions in West Beirut from the Christian Lebanese Front in East Beirut. The appellation refers to the coloration of the foliage that grew because the space...
- Blue Line (Lebanon)Blue Line (Lebanon)The Blue Line is a border demarcation between Lebanon and Israel published by the United Nations on 7 June 2000 for the purposes of determining whether Israel had fully withdrawn from Lebanon...