Evening star., 1948-01-09
British Are Reported
In Clash With Arabs
Invading Palestine
BY ths Asseeiuied Press

JERUSALEM. Jan. 9.-Jewish
sources said British troops
clashed today with 800 volun-
teers of an Arab Peoples Army
which crossed the border from
Syria and attacked a Jewish set
tlement in Upper Galilee.
These informants said two settlers
were injured in a two-hour battle
with the Arabs in the first large at
tack by forces from across the
Syrian frontier. The informants
speculated whether the Arabs were
led by Fawzi Kaukji, one. of the
chiefs of the Palestine Arab revolt
Of 1896.
Jewish sources said the Arabs ar
rived In trucks and, before attacking
Kfar Sold, q collective settlement
named for the American philan-
thropist Henrietta Sold, struck at
the nearby settlement of Dan and
blew up water pipeline.
New deaths by violence in the
Holy Land brought to CAB the toll
since partition was announced.
In jerusalem British soldiers, be-
hind police armored cars, took four
truckloads of supplies into the old
wall city, where 1900 Jews have
been besieged by Arabs since New
Years Day.
Starvation Peril Reported.
The convoy went through the
Arab blockade after a Jewish leader
declared the beleaguered people in
side the old city were sin danger of
starvation" Arab guns dominate all
the gates to the walled city, its Jew
ish quarter and the historic Wailing
Wall, where Jews have prayed for
centuries.
Chief Rabbi Halevy Herzog
pleaded earlier with the British '"in
the name of God" to break the Arab
blockade. An army spokesman said
arrangements had been made with
the Arabs to permit passage of the
food convoy, but he added he was
convinced there were plenty of sup
plies in the city. He said the Jewish
leaders were making political cap
ital OF situation by demanding the
British take food through an Arab
blockade in the name of humanity"
The Stern Gang, extreme group Of
the Jewish underground, issued a
statement telling foreign correspon-
dents they fortified their privileges
OF immunity" by carrying identifi-
cation cards from the Arab Higher
Executive.
Injured in Explosion.
Two Arabs and a British police
man were injured in an explosion of
a crude shoebox bomb planted in an
Arab bus in Jerusalem.
Passengers in the bus saw smoke
curling from the shoebox and hurled
it from a window just before it ex-
ploded. thereby probably averting
greater casualties.
The explosion blasted hole in
the sidewalk and shattered windows
In nearby Arab shops, most of which
have been closed for weeks because
of Jewish-Arab strife over the i'm
pending partition of the Holy Land
General Alarm Sounded.
The incident touched off the first
general alarm in Jerusalem in six
weeks. Sounding of the. sirens had
been discontinued recently during
the heavy clashes between Jews and
Arabs, but authorities said that in
future they would be used when
ever there are major developments" ."
In the Jaffa-Tel Aviv area, an
ofdcial announcement said, jew
ess was shot and killed by British
security police in the mo mans
land" between the Arab and Jewish
cities.
The death raised the unofficial
number of killed to 638 since the
United Nations voted November 20
to partition the Holy Land.
Tel Aviv sources said Jews and
Arabs commenced firing early to-
day in the Jaffa area and that two
Jews were wounded.