The Suez Canal, an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt which connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea, took 10 years to build and officially opened in November 1869. It was built under the direction of French diplomat Ferdinand de Lesseps, who also formed the Suez Canal Company (Le Suez), to operate and oversee the operation of the canal. The canal was the property of the Egyptian government, but the company was owned by European shareholders. In July 1956, Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalized by revoking operation of the Suez Canal from the European shareholders (primarily British and French), and returning ownership to the Egyptian state-owned Suez Canal Authority. Nasser’s actions led to the 1956 Suez Canal Crisis.
On October 29, 1956, Israeli forces launched an attack on Egypt and took control of the Gaza Strip and the Sinai. British and French forces soon landed in the Suez Canal Zone. The United Nations Security Council met to discuss the situation on October 31, 1956. Unfortunately, no resolution was reached. Under the "uniting for peace resolution," which was adopted by the United Nations (UN) in the 1950s, the matter was referred to the General Assembly. The General Assembly met in emergency sessions for ten days. The UN General Assembly called for an immediate ceasefire and the withdrawal of all foreign forces from occupied territories. The UN also established the first United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF) to secure and supervise the cessation of hostilities. After the dispatch of the Emergency Force (UNEF) to the area, French and British forces left the Suez Canal Zone by December 22, 1956. The withdrawal of Israeli forces was completed by March 8, 1957.

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