 Farouk was so convinced that the war would be a victorious "march on Jerusalem" that he had already started planning the victory parade in Cairo before the war started.Farouk was described as "like some boy playing with so many lead soldiers" as he involved deeply in the military planning, personally deciding where his army would march when it invaded Palestine.As late as 13 May 1948, Norakshy Pasha was assuring foreign diplomats that Egypt would not attack Israel when it was expected to be proclaimed on 15 May, and Egypt's intervention in the war took most observers by surprise.