The Yom Kippur War began on October 6, 1973, when a coalition of Arab states, led by Egypt and Syria, launched a surprise attack on Israel.

The attack was deliberately timed to coincide with Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.

The goal of the Arab coalition was to regain territory lost to Israel in the Six-Day War of 1967.

The surprise attack was initially very successful, with Egyptian forces crossing the Suez Canal and Syrian forces advancing in the Golan Heights.

The attack shattered Israel's sense of invincibility and caught its intelligence services by surprise.

After suffering heavy initial losses, Israel launched a series of successful counter-offensives that turned the tide of the war.

The United States launched a massive airlift of military supplies to support Israel during the conflict.

The war led to a tense standoff between the two Cold War superpowers, the U.S. and the Soviet Union, who were supporting opposite sides.

The war ended with a UN-brokered ceasefire.

Although Israel was ultimately victorious militarily, the initial Arab successes restored a sense of pride and paved the way for future peace negotiations, such as the Camp David Accords.