<P> Using the two paths cleared through the southern minefields, IDF tanks entered the Rafah salient . Under Egyptian artillery fire, the IDF force raced ahead and took Crossroads 12 with the loss of 2 killed and 22 wounded . In the north, the Israeli troops fought a confused series of night actions, but were successful in storming Hills 25, 25A, 27 and 29 with the loss of six killed . In the morning of 1 November, Israeli AMX - 13s encircled and took Hills 34 and 36 . At that point, General al - Abd ordered his forces to abandon their posts outside of Rafah and retreat into the city . </P> <P> With Rafah more or less cut off and Israeli forces controlling the northern and eastern roads leading into the city, Dayan ordered the AMX - 13s of the 27th Armored Brigade to strike west and take al - Arish . By this point, Nasser had ordered his forces to fall back towards the Suez Canal, so at first Bar - Lev and his men met little resistance as they advanced across the northern Sinai . Hearing of the order to withdraw, General al - Abd and his men left Rafah on the morning of 1 November through a gap in the Israeli lines, and headed back towards the canal zone . Three hours later, the Israelis took Rafah . It was reported that after taking Rafah, Israeli troops killed 111 people, including 103 refugees, in Rafah's Palestinian refugee camp . The circumstances of the killings are disputed . Not until the Jeradi Pass in the northern Sinai did the IDF run into serious opposition . A series of hooking attacks that out - flanked the Egyptian positions combined with airstrikes led to an Egyptian defeat at the Jeradi Pass . On 2 November, Bar - Lev's forces took al - Arish . </P> <P> Meanwhile, the IDF attacked the Egyptian defenses outside of Gaza City late on 1 November . After breaking through the Egyptian lines, the Israeli tanks headed into Gaza City . Joined by infantry, the armor attacked the al - Muntar fortress outside of Gaza City, killing or capturing 3,500 Egyptian National Guard troops . By noon of 2 November, there was no more Egyptian opposition in the Gaza City area . On 3 November, the IDF attacked Egyptian and Palestinian forces at Khan Yunis . After a fierce battle, the Israeli 37th Armored Brigade's Sherman tanks broke through the heavily fortified lines outside of Khan Yunis held by the 86th Palestinian Brigade . </P> <P> After some street - fighting with Egyptian soldiers and Palestinian fedayeen, Khan Yunis fell to the Israelis . There are claims that after taking Khan Yunis, the IDF committed a massacre, known as the Khan Yunis killings . Israel maintained that the Palestinians were killed in street - fighting, while the Palestinians claimed that Israeli troops started executing unarmed Palestinians after the fall of Khan Yunis . The claims of a massacre were reported to the UN General Assembly on 15 December 1956 by the Director of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, Henry Labouisse, who reported from "trustworthy sources" that 275 people were killed in the massacre of which 140 were refugees and 135 local residents . </P>

What are the basic facts regarding this suez crisis