How did the Six-Day War of 1967 change the Jordan River’s political role?

The Six-Day War of 1967 fundamentally altered the political role of the Jordan River by shifting its status from a national frontier to a military cease-fire line.

Prior to 1967, the river served as the established border between Israel and Jordan from just south of the Sea of Galilee to the confluence of the Yābis River. Following the war, Israeli forces occupied the West Bank, the territory situated on the west bank of the river south of that confluence. Consequently, the Jordan River began serving as the cease-fire line extending as far south as the Dead Sea.12

This change also impacted the Yarmūk River, a major tributary. After the 1967 conflict, the lower 14 miles (23 km) of the Yarmūk formed the boundary between Jordan and Israeli-held territory, which included the occupied Golan Heights and Israel proper. These shifts solidified the river's role as a central feature in the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict regarding administration, security, and the viability of a future Palestinian state.34