Clashes In Palestine— Fears Of Renewal Of Warfare

Greymouth Evening Star, 18 October 1948, Page 6

Clashes In Palestine— Fears Of Renewal Of Warfare

LONDON, October 16. “Fears of a general renewal of warfare between the Israeli and Egyptian forces in the Negeb (southern Palestine) were felt in Tel Aviv after an Egyptian attack on a Jewish convoy and the Israeli bombing of Egyptian bases,” says the Daily Telegraph correspondent in Tel Aviv. “The black-out throughout the State of Israel, imposed after these attacks on Friday, is to remain until further orders. Fresh concentrations and movements of Egyptian forces in the south of Palestine were observed on Friday.”

“The Israeli authorities have refused to comply with the United Nations request for a cease fire in the Negeb,” says Reuter’s Tel Aviv correspondent. The Associated Press correspondent in Paris says: “The United Nations has announced that the order for a cease fire was given by Brigadier-General Riley, Chief of Staff of the United Nations truce observers. He ordered the forces on both sides to return to the positions held by them on Thursday. United Nations investigators left Haifa on Saturday for Tef Aviv to investigate the Jewish side of the front. They returned on Friday from Gaza after investigating the Egyptian side. Jews Refuse “The Jewish reply refusing to accept the cease fire alleges Egyptian attacks on Jewish settlements and an attack on a Jewish convoy yesterday. It says that the Israeli Government cannot order a cease fire until it obtains guarantees from the United Nations Chief of Staff that traffic to and from the Negeb will be allowed and that Egyptian attacks will cease.” The Israeli forces in the Negeb claim to have cut the Egyptian lines of communication, according to reports reaching Tel Aviv. Three Egyptian bases —Gaza, Tef el Arish, and Maj dal—have been attacked twice during the last 24 hours. An Israeli spokesman said: “We are determined to open up the Negeb corridor.” An Egyptian communique on Saturday said that two of a group of Jewish aeroplanes which raided Tel el Arish were shot down by Egyptian fighters, says the British United Press correspondent in Cairo. The communique claimed that Egyptian anti-tank guns set fire to all the en-

emy tanks which attacked Egyptian positions, and’that the Jews left behind more than 500 dead as well as large quantities of equipment, weapons, and ammunition. Reuter’s Tel Aviv correspondent said: “An Israeli spokesman announced that after heavy Egyptian shelling of the Jewish settlement of Gath, Israeli aircraft bombed the nearby settlement of Faluja, a bastion on the Egyptian line. He added that Israeli armoured forces entered Iraw el Manshieh, killed a number of Egyptians, destroyed guns and dumps and returned to their base having lost three light tanks.” Israeli Admission “An Israeli spokesman admitted on Friday that the Egyptian Army had smashed the first .Israeli attempt to get a food convoy to the Negeb areas,” says the Tel Aviv correspondent of the Associated Press. The spokesman said that the convoy had to turn back, leaving two trucks burning. “The Israeli Air Force today bombed Egyptian bases in the Negeb. As a result of Egyptian air and land attacks in this area a black-out has been enforced throughout Israeli.” An Israeli communique claimed that Arab troops trying to advance on Jewish positions round Mount Zion were thrown back early on Saturday. The Arabs began the attack on Friday night under cover of mortar and machine-gun fire. Seven explosions occurred in Jerusalem on Saturday. Smoke rose from the southern parts of the city. The Jews were believed to be blowing up Arab buildings. Gunfire was heard all night from the Teebute settlement area in Jerusalem.