Umm Rashrash

Umm Rashrash is the historical name for the coastal site at the location of modern Eilat on the northern end of the Gulf of Aqaba. It is known both as an ancient coastal anchorage and as the location associated with Israel’s final 1949 advance during Operation Uvda.

The area now forms the southern waterfront of Eilat, including beaches and marine access to the Red Sea; the nearby coastal waters are used for snorkeling and diving on local coral reefs. Modern facilities and tourist infrastructure in Eilat occupy and extend from the historic Umm Rashrash shoreline.

Antiquity-era occupation is attested along this stretch of the Red Sea coast and the site reappears in modern history with the 1949 military advance that established Israel’s permanent southern border. The raising of the Ink Flag at Umm Rashrash on March 10, 1949, is the specific event most commonly linked to the name.

Umm Rashrash sits at Israel’s southernmost tip on the coast of the Gulf of Aqaba, immediately adjacent to the city of Eilat and near the borders with Egypt and Jordan. The site forms the headland and shoreline that define Eilat’s harbor and main beach areas.

• Geography: Located at the northern tip of the Gulf of Aqaba and corresponds to the historic shore site of modern **Eilat**.
• Modern historical event: Site of Israel’s 1949 Operation Uvda where the provisional Israeli flag known as the “Ink Flag” was raised to mark the end of the 1948-49 War of Independence.