WARFARE IN PALESTINE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26774, 18 May 1948, Page 5

WARFARE IN PALESTINE

JEWISH FORCES POISED Arab Columns Converge on Israel State EGYPTIAN TROOPS ATTACK, New Zealand Press Association—Copyright. Rec. 9.30 p.m. LONDON, May 17. The State of Israel has all its forces mobilised and centrally placed and it now doubtless plans to strike at each in turn of the four or five enemy columns which are converging on it, says the military correspondent of the Daily Telegraph. The Jewish forces, meemwhile, are feverishly trying to mop up Jerusalem and Acre and to open the vitally important Jerusalem-Tel-Aviv road, the blockade of which is fatal to co-ordinated Jewish action. All the Arab States have imposed censorship and the atmosphere is one of readiness to face risks and sacrifices. The future implications of the Arab States’ alliance and joint action are immense. Zionism has provided impetus to a movement destined fundamentally to affect the general political situation in the Middle East and throughout the Arab world. Egyptian troops, in the first direct attack against Jewish forces invaded the settlement of Nimim, one of the southern-most settlements in the Negev area on the Palestine-Egyptian border. Haganah claims that Jewish soldiers killed 30 attackers and put the rest to flight. A Cairo communique/ states that Egyptian planes attacked the aerodrome at Petah Tikvah, six miles east of Tel-Aviv, which “ is no further use.” The airfield at el Akir was also attacked and two planes on the ground destroyed. A Jewish settlement between Gaza and Beersheba was raided and an Irgun Zvai Leumi communique said that its forces were attacking Ramleh, 15 miles south-east of Jaffa. Arab 75 millimetre guns shelled the Jewish quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem at the height of yesterday’s battle. Reuter’s correspondent says the Jews in the first two days of the present battle for the city seemed to be winning but that Arab resistance yesterday strengthened and the Arabs went over to the offensive in the Sheik Jarrah district. Nevertheless, Moshe Shertok, Israel Foreign Minister, claims that the Jewish Army holds practically all the strategic points in Jerusalem including Allenby barracks on the Jerusalem-Tel-Aviv road;

Tel-Aviv Again Bombed

There were three air-raids on Tel- ' Aviv this morning and several Spitfires dive-bombed the port grea in the afternoon. Haganah said Arab planes were “believed” to have been shot down in the morning attacks. Five people were killed in the raids. An Egyptian Defence Ministry source in Cairo said that Egyptian Air Force planes had destroyed port installations at Tel-Aviv.

A twin-engined aircraft attacked Tiberias, Ashdoth, Yaacov, and Affikim, and a. single-engined plane made one bombing run over Ein Gev on the eastern shores of Galilee close to the Transjordan frontier. Heavy artillery is said to have shelled. Ein Gev !rom the Transjordan hills. An unnarked plane, presumably Jewish, oombed the Arab village of Samakh. Haganah says Egyptian planes bombed a Royal Air Force temporary aerodrome yesterday and wounded! eight British soldiers. Egyptian planes also attacked a British armoured unit While on its way from Hebron to Rafah. The Arab Legion is reported to have occupied Lydda airport. Arabs captured the formerly Britishcontrolled broadcasting station at Ramailah, north of Jerusalem. Iraqi planes dropped leaflets in the Kashir and Bissan settlements. promising the Jews, safe conduct if they surrendered. The Syrians claim a victory in the Yule Valley, on the Lebanese border, and that, in spite of Jewish paratroop operations, they captured Malakir village. A Haganah. communique said that at ' least 200 Arabs were killed in the battle for Malakir yesterday. "The Arabs shelled settlements in the Samakh area all night. Haganah engaged an Arab armoured column east of Samakh. Fires were observed at Naharavim. the site of the electric power plant, which Transiordan forces occupied yesterday. Arabs this morning shelled the western suburbs of Jerusalem. Haganah forces captured Lat.run, on the Jerusalem road.” Kihg Abdullah said that, with the

On the Eve of Bloodshed

capture of the Rutherberg power plant at Naharayim, two-thrids of Jewish industry would cease to function. Naharayim is 10 miles south of Lake Tiberias.

Arab Legion headquarters in Palestine said to-day its forces had occupied an area north of Jerusalem, extending from Nablus southward to Ramailah, and its forward units had dug in within easy sight of the Holy City. An Iraq Government communique stated that the Iraqui army had entered Palestine to save Palestine for “ its own people ” and because the actions of Zionist gangs threatened all Arab countries. A Syrian communique from the northern front says the Syrians advanced yesterday to Samakh, south of the Sea of Galilee, and occupied a quarantine station and a former British Army camp. Artillery shelled the Jewish settlements of Tel-Samakh, Sargoland, and Masada, forcing the Jews to retreat. The Syrians encirqled. shelled, and straffed Nuaeib, on the east coast of the Sea of Galilee. Syrian planes raided several settlements, and supported advancing Lebanese. > The Syrian President visited Syrian operational headquarters in Palestine yesterday, and told the troops to “dig your feet in this land of your forefathers.” From Cairo it is reported that the American Ambassador to Egypt, Mr S. Pinkney Tuck, lias protested to the Premier, Nokrashy Pasha, against the seizure by the Egyptian Air Force yesterday of four surplus Dakota aircraft, which Transworld Air Lines had agreed previously to send to Saudi Arabia. A United States Air Force Skymaster on a regular supply flight to the United States base in Saudi Arabia was detained at Farouk airfield, Cairo, this morning, but was later allowed to proceed. The Egyptian Government has banned all flights over Egypt between 7 p.m. and 5 a.m. local time.

P.A. AUCKLAND, May 17. Palestine on the eve of bloodshed was described by Major J. Binsley, former deputy superintendent of the Palestine police, when he arrived in Auckland affer an air journey from the Middle East. He drew a picture of an ungoverned, chaotic country when he left two weeks ago. Communications were disrupted and the Administration had ceased , to operate. Jews and Arabs had asserted local authority. Business life was largely at a standstill, and the remaining British troops and police awaited withdrawal from Haifa. Then inevitably, he said, the country would be left to strife. Major Binsley has been in the service of the Palestine police for 18 years. “When you see the work of years crumble overnight, you are glad to get out of it,” he remarked. “ It seemed that everything for which we' and the whole British Administration had worked hard to achieve tottered

in front of our eyes to a tragic end. It appeared to happen within a matter of days.” He described the withdrawal of police units in his own Tulkarm district and the handing over of stations to Arab members of the force in Arab areas, and to Jewish policemen in Jewish areas. In some cases Jewish constables had been reinforced by members of Haganah. This force was now fully mobilised on a war footing, and was estimated to include a large number of male Jews and many females between the ages of 16 and 40. They possessed an abundance of arms, some of which had been flown to Palestine in aircraft landing on specially constructed air strips. “Conditions when I left were chaotic,” he continued. “With the withdrawal of the Government depart- ; ments, no trunk telephone or telegraph services were available. Post offices had ceased to function; banks in outi 'lying towns were closed; and almost all main roads were controlled by fre- ' quent Arab or Jewish road blocks and guards. Many small culverts and detours were blown up.” v

Leaders in the Straggle