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While still in Jordan,
Amr had written to the Caliph and given him the latest intelligence
about Roman dispositions and strengths in Palestine. The strongest
Roman force was at Ajnadein. Umar gave detailed instructions to
Amr about the objectives which he was to take, and also wrote to
Yazeed to capture the Mediterranean coast. In pursuance of these
instructions the Muslim army, excluding the corps of Abu Ubaidah
and Khalid, operated against the Romans in Palestine and on the
coast as far north as Beirut. The corps of Amr and Shurahbil marched
to Ajnadein, and with Amr as army commander, fought and defeated
a Roman army in the second Battle of Ajnadein. Thereafter the corps
separated. Amr went on to capture Nablus, Amawas, Gaza and Yubna,
thus occupying all Palestine, while Shurahbil thrust against the
coastal towns of Acre and Tyre, which capitulated to him. Yazeed,
with his brother Muawiyah playing an important role under him, advanced
from Damascus and captured the ports of Sidon, Arqa, Jabail and
Beirut.
The place which took the longest to capture
was Caesarea. Umar had given this as an objective to Yazeed; and
he and Muawiyah laid siege to it, but Caesarea, reinforced and supplied
by the Romans by sea, could not be captured in spite of their best
efforts. The siege was raised when the Muslims had to regroup for
the Battle of Yarmuk, but was resumed after that battle and continued
until the port fell in 640 (19 Hijri).
By the end of 14 Hijri (roughly 635 A.D.),
Palestine, Jordan and Southern Syria, with the exception of Jerusalem
and Caesarea, were in Muslims hands.
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