ABU AWEIGILA (Ar. Abu ʿAweiqila),
strategic position in eastern Sinai, about 19 road
mi. (30 road km.) W. of
Niẓanah
.
Situated near the course of Wadi el-Arish, at a road
fork connected with el-Arish in the northwest and
with Ismailiya in the west, it was a battlefield
in the 1948, 1956, and 1967 wars. In one of the last
battles of the War
of Independence Israeli forces
drove the Egyptians from ʿAslūj (near
Revivim)
through Niẓana to Abu Aweigila, and from there
moved on in the direction of el-Arish. During the
Sinai Campaign the capture of the stronghold ultimately
decided the outcome of the war. Before the Six-Day
War (June 1967) the Egyptians extended their
fortifications for many kilometers to all sides of
Abu Aweigila and stationed a division in the area.
The capture of the position enabled the Israeli
Army to break through to the entire Sinai Peninsula.