The Six Day War began on June 5, 1967 when Israel launched a surprise air attack on Egyptian, Syrian and Jordanian air forces, destroying over 400 Arab planes. Within a few days, Israel gained control of the Gaza Strip, Sinai Peninsula, West Bank, and Golan Heights. This doubled Israel's size and weakened its Arab neighbors, who lost thousands of soldiers and hundreds of tanks. The war heightened tensions and displaced many Palestinians, placing the occupied territories under Israeli control.