Israel Releases 4,500 Rare Documents and Photos Marking 70 Years Since 1956 Sinai War

Marking 70 years since Operation Kadesh, also known as the Sinai Campaign, the Israel Defense Forces Archive at the Ministry of Defense launched its most comprehensive official website on the 1956 war on Sunday. The digital archive features more than 4,500 photographs, documents, and maps, many of which are being made public for the first time.

Among the newly released materials are remarks by then-Prime Minister and Defense Minister David Ben-Gurion concerning the Gaza Strip. “We must take it. If I believed in miracles, I would wish for it to be swallowed by the sea,” Ben-Gurion said. He also warned of the consequences of a future war: “Tel Aviv will be bombed, Haifa will be bombed, and people will be killed. Not soldiers, but women and children.”

Another newly disclosed document contains observations by Shimon Peres, who was serving as director-general of the Defense Ministry at the time, regarding Ben-Gurion’s strategic outlook. Peres wrote: “Our victory in battle does not necessarily mean it will be the final battle, but an Arab victory could be the final victory.”

The Defense Ministry explained that the website was developed following extensive research and archival work to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Operation Kadesh. Launched by the ministry’s Digital and Information Technology Division, the dedicated platform brings together a wide range of historical materials documenting the Sinai Campaign.

In addition to thousands of archival records, the website includes information on 149 military commanders who began their careers during Israel’s War of Independence and went on to form part of the IDF’s founding command structure.

The collection documents preparations for the war, discussions and decisions made by Israel’s political and military leadership, the course of the fighting, and events that unfolded during and after the conflict.

Among the newly released materials are records documenting the capture of the Gaza Strip and Rafah, documents relating to an operation to rescue 65 Jews from Port Said, operational assessments by the Israeli Air Force, rare maps and photographs, and postwar summaries and lessons drawn by senior defense officials.

The archive is available to the public at:Israel Defense Ministry – Operation Kadesh Archive.