Evening star., 1948-07-10
BY the Associated Press

dotte, u. N. mediator.
BY The Associated Press
CAIRO, July 10.-An Israeli
government spokesman said to-
day that Jewish troops killed 800
Egyptians and captured 200 in
a battle near Isdud, Is miles
south of Tel Aviv. To the north
east they captured the priced
LYDIA Airport, he said, in a
strong sweep against Iraqi
forces.
South of Isdud, however, the Jew
ish settlement of Negba was bat
tered by artillery and air attack
Jews evacuated the isolated settle
ment of Kfar Darom, the Tel Aviv
spokesman admitted. The Egyp-
tions claimed capture of Kfar Darom
last night. Arabs also recaptured
Belt Affah in the same area.
Tel Aviy was bombed again today
by two unidentified Spitfires. A
Jewish communique said there were
no casualties.
Jews Drafting Reply.
Jewish government leaders were
reported drafting an answer to
Count Folke Bernadotte's urgent ap-
peal for a new Today cease fire,
which he had hoped would begin
this morning.
In Cairo Arab League sources said
the Arab nations would remain silent
on this. Secretary General Abdul
Rahman Azzam Pasha of the seven
nation League told newsmen he re-
ceived the u. N. mediators appeal
but the League Political Committee
is no longer here and cannot act
on it now.
Count Bernadotte left his Rhodes
headquarters, en- route to New York
to lay the whole Palestine situation
before the UN Security Council.
In Tel Aviv the Jewish govern
ment spokesman said the Israelis
launched their attack on LYDIA
Airport at midnight with large
column of armored vehicles and
infantry. The airport is less than
IS miles southeast of Tel Aviv, just
on the UN-proposed border between
Jewish and Arab territory. 1t is
Palestine's chief airport.
Defenders Mostly Iraqis.
An unofficial source in Tel Aviv
said the defending forces were
mostly Iraqis. He said these, aided
by Arab Legionnaises stationed
nearby, attempted a counter attack
supported by one tank and six
armored cars, but that the Israelis
disabled all seven vehicles and the
arabs retreated, suffering casualties.
The airport and its hangers were
found relatively undamaged, the
spokesman said. 1t had been occu-
pied by Arabs since May is, when
the British surrendered their man
date.
The Egyptian Defense Ministry
last night said 325 Jewish soldiers
were killed yesterday in the coastal
plain area below Isdud.
The Cairo weekly Akhbar el Yonl
said Egyptian shells wiped out Kfar
Darom in retaliation for an at
tempted attack from the settlement
On King Farouk's party, which WIS.,
tied the front five days ago. The
paper said the Jewish attack on the
royal party failed and none was
hurt. 1t said that when King
Farouk reached El Arish on the
Egyptian-Palestine border, Zionist
planes flew overhead. 1t said ap-
parently news had leaked out Of the
Kings visit through Zionists dis
guised as Arabs. Kfar Darom is in
the Isdud area.
Arabs Advance in Jerusalem.
In Jerusalem Arab irregulars, sup
ported by mortars and light artil-
lery of the Trans-Jordan Legion,
punched so yards into Jewish held
territory of the new city's Mesrara
quarter and occupied a large stone
building a few yards from the st.
George School, a dispatch from the
Arab-held walled city said. A
Legion officer said the Jews left Is
dead in the building which they
used as a gunpost.
Jewish mortars continued a steady
drumming against the stone walls
of the Old City and Arab positions
outside the walls. Legion mortars
and howitzers replied but the big
guns remained silent. There were
occasional spirited automatic weap-
ons duels near the Old City gates,
and legion officer said Jewish
snipers infiltrated into the Fast
Hotel outside the Jaffa Gate.
An unconfirmed report in Damas-
Gus, Syria, said Syrian troops re-
PEELED strong Jewish attack on
the Jisar Banat Yakub (Jacob's
Bridge) sector near the Jordan Riv-
er, south of Lake Hula. 1t said the
Jews fled westward to Rosh Pima.
The report said four Jewish planes
tried to raid Ell Kuneitra, Syria, and
that once was forced to land and
it's crew killed.
Count Bernadotte said he plans
(see PALESTINE, Page A-2)