Egyptians And Israelis In Another Border Clash

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27626, 5 April 1955, Page 11

Egyptians And Israelis In Another Border Clash

(N.Z. Pnu Association—CopvrtaM) (Rec. 10 p.m.) TEL AVIV, April 3. Egyptian and Israeli troops exchanged fire for two hours last night across the Gaza Strip truce line, south of the city of Gaza.

During the fighting Egyptian soldiers bombed the Israeli settlement of Nahal Oz with three-inch mortars, an Israeli Army spokesman said.

It was the first time the settlement had been bombarded since the Palestine war ended in 1949, the spokesman said. Several Israeli soldiers were wounded, some of them seriously.

Preliminary reports from settlers suffered no casualties.

Nahal Oz indicated that the

Wounded Israeli soldiers in a military base hospital in Negev said that Egyptian machine-gun and mortar posts trapped *>> Israeli patrol car'in heavy crossfire. Two Israeli soldiers were killed In the incident, they said. The shooting will be investigated later by an emergency session ot the Israel Egyptian Mixed Armistice Commission, Corporal Alex Stock said the Israeli soldiers jumped out and took cover, as the Egyptians kept up a heavy crossfire. Shells were exploding all around.

Private Yehuda Elam, aged 19. said that as he jumped out ot the car, a bullet hit hun in the back. He said he found his friend, Joseph Levy, lying beside him with severe wounds and tried to help him but Levy died later on the way to hospital. Private Elam said the crossfire kept the Israelis pinned down until reinforcements, summoned by radio, arrived 30 minutes later and "softened up” the Egyptian positions with mortar fire.