In mid May 1967, the Soviet Union issued warnings to Nasser of an impending Israeli attack on Syria. Although the chief of staff Mohamed Fawzi verified them as "baseless", Nasser took three successive steps that made the war virtually inevitable: On 14 May he deployed his troops in Sinai near the border with Israel, on 19 May he expelled the UN peacekeepers stationed in the Sinai Peninsula border with Israel, and on 23 May he closed the Straits of Tiran to Israeli shipping. On 26 May Nasser declared, "The battle will be a general one and our basic objective will be to destroy Israel". COUNT 4
QSN1 Who found the claims of Israeli attack baseless? ANS1 Mohamed Fawzi QSN2 How many steps did Nasser take in preparation for war? ANS2 three successive steps QSN3 Who warned of impending Israeli attack on Syria in May 1967? ANS3 Soviet Union i QSN4 On what day did Nasser state "The battle will be a general one and our basic objective will be to destroy Israel?" ANS4 23 May