Which Israeli general led the crossing of the Suez Canal in the Yom Kippur War?

Israeli general Ariel Sharon led the division that carried out the Israeli crossing of the Suez Canal in the Yom Kippur War.

Sharon commanded Israel's 143rd Division, a reserve armored formation, on the southern front. During the war's later phase, his forces helped create and defend a corridor to the canal near Deversoir. Israeli troops then crossed to the western bank, where they attacked Egyptian communications and air-defense positions and threatened the rear of Egypt's forces.

The crossing was not the work of Sharon alone. Generals Avraham Adan and Kalman Magen commanded other formations involved in the broader west-bank operation, and engineers and paratroopers were essential to building and protecting the crossing. Nevertheless, Sharon was the prominent divisional commander associated with initiating and leading the bridgehead effort.

A common error is to credit Israel's chief of staff, David Elazar, as the field leader. Elazar directed the war at the highest military level, whereas Sharon commanded the division at the crossing. The operation helped isolate Egypt's Third Army and contributed to the cease-fire negotiations.