Evening star., 1948-07-08
By the Assooioted Press


command announced today that
Egyptian forces opened an Of
fensive south of Tel Aviv in the
waning hours of the Palestine
truce, which expires at 2 am.
(EDT) tomorrow.
Count Folke Bernadotte, United
Nations mediator. said at Rhodes
that, the Arabs rejected his plea to
extend the four week truce, although
the Jews had accepted the proposal.
Renewed Arab-Jewish war on
full scale was expected tomorrow.
The Jewish high command said the
Egyptians already were throwing
air, artillery and armored car at
tacks at Beer Tuvia, % miles south
Of the Jewish capital.
THE war is on Jewish spokes-
man said.
1n Washington, a State De-
partment spokesman said Amer
lean representatives in all Arab
countries and in Palestine are
doing all they possibly can to
extend the truce since the United
States is a member of the U. N.
Truce Commission)
Evacuation Steps Taken.
Count Bernadotte announced that
the Arabs apparently turned down
even a three-day' extension, but "all
necessary steps are being taken i'm
mediately for safe evacuation of
United Nations observers, person.
mel and their equipment"
The United States, France and
Belgium each have 81 military OBJ
servers in the Holy Land, super
vised by a small staff of Swedish
officers. In addition the United Ma
tions recently sent about so armed
guards to aid In the truce job. along
with communications and staff per-
sonnel.
The American aircraft carrier
Palau arrived at Haifa to evacuate
the U, N. staff. The United States
naval tanker Marquette is in Haifa
Bay to remove personnel and equip
ment. Three American destroyers,
the Putnam, the Henley and the
Owen, are standing by at Haifa,
subject to U. N. orders.
Asks Delay in Fighting.
Count Bernadotte asked both Jews
and Arabs to withhold military
action in Haifa and Beirut, Lebanon.
until the end of the U. N. evacuation
operations.
The u. N. secretariat and guards,
mostly Americans. will leave Haifa
by air for Beirut today and the
American observers will fly home
from Beirut on American planes.
Belgian and French observers are
leaving their Palestine posts today
and tomorrow.
A small party of U. N. field observ-
ers may remain in Jerusalem, pend
ing possible developments in the
Bernadotte proposal to demilitarize
the Holy City, Haifa dispatches said.
Tel Aviv Has Alarm.
There was no indication in the
Tel Aviv announcement whether the
alleged Egyptian attack was on a
large scale or was another OF the
periodic clashes such as have
marked the cease-fire.
The Israel communique said the
Egyptians were attacking in the
direction of Isdud. where an
Egyptian spearhead was trapped
temporarily before the armistice.
Tel Aviv dispatches said air raid
sirens sounded in the Jewish cap
ital shortly after noon. but there
were no immediate signs of hostile
planes.
In Tel Aviv. the head of the U. N.
truce team, Col w. B. Mccoy OF
oxford, Ga. said he was informed
by the Israel liaison officer that "the
war is on"
The officer told him heavily forti-
ned Beer Tuvia is being attacked
by planes, armored cars and artil-
lery. !
A dispatch from Jerusalem told
OF persistent reports among officers
OF Trans-Jordan's Arab Legion that
the Jews had heavily increased
their armaments in the Holy City.
At the beginning of the truce the
Arabs held the old Walled City OF
Jerusalem and the Jews held most
of the modern city, although it was
cut off from Tel Aviv by Arab
forces.
Legion officers in Jerusalem said
they expected the Jews to launch a
heavy mortar attack on the Old
City, scene of many holy shrines of
three great religions. Should this
occur, evacuation of the Arab civil
ians is possible, the dispatch said.
The Legion sources said the Jews
now had modern medium and heavy
bonibers, principally from American