Post 1945, South West Asia, Sinai, Peacekeeping, United Nations Emergency Force II, 1976 - 79

Since it was proclaimed a state on 14 May 1948, Israel has often been in conflict with the surrounding Arab states. Palestinian Arabs and surrounding Arab states rejected the plan for a Jewish state and fought for control of the land. Major conflicts include: the First Arab-Israeli War in 1947; the Suez Crisis of 1956 (the Second Arab-Israeli War); the Six-Day War of 1967 (the Third Arab-Israeli War); and the Yom Kippur War of 1973 (the Fourth Arab-Israeli war). UN peacekeepers have had a presence in the region for most of this time. By the 1970s, Australians had spent almost 2 decades serving in several UN peacekeeping operations in the region
On 6 October 1973, the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur, Egyptian and Syrian forces launched a surprise attack against Israel. They crossed their respective ceasefire lines in the Sinai Peninsula and Golan Heights. Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Palestinian guerrillas in Lebanon also joined the fighting. Egyptian and Syrian forces had early successes in the war, but then met strong Israeli resistance.
The UN called for a ceasefire on 23 October, but fighting continued. President Anwar Sadat of Egypt requested Soviet Union and US troops be sent to the area to enforce the ceasefire. The US opposed the request. At the request of Egypt, the UN Security Council was convened again on 24 October. The Second United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF II) was created. The first United Nations Emergency Force had served as a buffer between Egyptian and Israeli forces from November 1956 to June 1967. The new peacekeeping operation, UNEF II, effectively brought the latest crisis to an end.
UNEF II's role was to supervise the implementation of the ceasefire between Egyptian and Israeli forces. It also oversaw the return of the 2 forces to the positions they had held before the conflict and tried to prevent a recurrence of fighting. UNEF II was responsible for controlling the buffer zones established by the ceasefire agreements. These were east of the Suez Canal and in the Sinai Peninsula. The force was armed for self-defence. UNEF II headquarters were eventually set up in Ismailia, Egypt.

In 1976, the Australian Government officially committed forces to UNEF II. The contingent consisted of 2 army personnel serving in the UNEF II headquarters for a 12-month period and a 50-person detachment from No. 5 Squadron Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). They also committed 4 Bell UH-1H Iroquois helicopters for 6-month rotations. Included in the RAAF contingents during 1977 and 1980 were Royal Australian Navy aircrew and aircraft maintainers. The contingent was known as AUSTAIR UNEF.

By early 1979, tension between Israel and Egypt was easing. In the Camp David Accords of 1978 and the 1979 Treaty of Peace Between Egypt and Israel, the nations agreed that the Sinai would go back to Egypt. In return, Egypt would end hostilities and normalise relations with Israel.
By May 1979, AUSTAIR crews were seeing the first stages of the Israeli withdrawal. A new buffer zone was established along the eastern strip of Egyptian territory. This changed the need for UNEF II peacekeepers in the region.