Conquest of Jerusalem 7 November–9 December 1917

Pouring forward after the occupation of Beersheba and Gaza, the Allied forces rapidly reached the El Maghar Ridge where, on 13 November, an Ottoman counterattack was decisively repulsed. The Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) then captured Junction Station, severing rail links to Jerusalem. Meanwhile, Anzac mounted troops captured the port of Jaffa, thus threatening the right flank of the Ottoman 8th to retreat. The various arms of the EEF now began to converge on Jerusalem, but made slow progress in the face of determined resistance in treacherous terrain. In the final week of November, the Ottoman forces staged a series of counterattacks but, reinforced by fresh troops, the EEF repulsed every attempt to halt their advance. By the beginning of December, the EEF were entrenched around the western approaches to Jerusalem. Learning that the Ottoman forces had abandoned the city, the EEF entered Jerusalem on 9 December.