Abdel Hakim Amer
Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser had provoked Israel when he closed the Straits of Tiran on May 22, 1967. He was intent on reversing previous military defeats. The Egyptian army mobilized in the Sinai desert, and was poised to launch what Nasser called "the operation that will surprise the world". The operation was set to take place on May 27, 1967. Abdel Hakim Amer, an Egyptian general, planned the operation.