The pursuit Motion ended Process_end on 12 August , when the German and Ottoman force Military_operation abandoned GiveUp their base at Bir el Abd and retreated Motion to El Arish .

At the time , the ship was in international waters north of the Sinai Peninsula , about northwest from the Egyptian city of Arish .

This Egyptian Expeditionary Force ( EEF ) victory against the Ottoman Empire garrison also secured the town of El Arish after the Ottoman garrison withdrew .

During the following three months the defeated Conquering force retired Departing further eastwards to El Arish , while the captured Conquering territory stretching Expansion from the Suez Canal was consolidated Cause_change_of_strength and garrisoned Defending by the EEF .

By the following morning a mounted force had reached Arriving El Arish to find it abandoned GiveUp .

An Ottoman Army garrison in a strong defensive Defending position was located at Magdhaba , some inland to the south east , on the Wadi el Arish .

With the railway reaching Arriving El Arish on 4 January 1917 , an attack Attack on Rafa by the newly formed Coming_to_be Desert Column became Becoming possible .