OPERATIONS IN PALESTINE

Thames Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 18384, 4 July 1917, Page 3

OPERATIONS IN PALESTINE

LONDON, July 6

Mr Massey, writing from Gaza. Headquarters, states tha* General Allenby is assuming the command. He finds the operations in Palestine are similar to those in France. The forces are deeply entrenched. We securely ,dug in on a. long line, and give the Turks no rest. Their positions are frequently heavily bombarded. Guns are daily searching the enemy artillery' and ammunition dumps. Much good work is preventing the enemj in, harvesting barley behind the lines. Over half a tan of bombs were dropped on an aerodrome at Homlich, near Jerusalem. Another squadron attacked and severely damaged an important depot at Pulkeram, northwest of Jaffa.

A squadron attacked the headquarters of the Fourth Turkish Army within a mile of the walls of Jerusalem, and dropped ,lfty bombs on the' headquarters' building. The Turks issued an announcement that the. British have bombarded the Holy City of Jerusalem, saorod alike to Mahommedans and Christians. Mr Massey continues that the town was not bombed, but four bombs hit the roof, of the headquarters.—A. and N.Z. Gable.