Evening star., 1948-05-17
Egyptians 80 Miles
From Tel. Aviv After
Drive Into Palestine
BY the Assoeioted Press

CAIRO, May 1.-THE Arab
Higher Executive Committee said
today Egyptian troops have
driven within 80 miles of Tel
Aviv after an advance of at least
"a miles into Palestine.
The Office said also the Jewish
Agency has authorized the surren-
der of Jews In the old city of Jeru-
salem to the Arab volunteer COM
mand
The conditions of surrender pro-
vide that the Jews give up their
arms, that men be considered pris-
oners of war and that women and
children be handed over to the In
ternational Red Cross, it said.
Power Station Seized.
The office, quoting communique
from the Middle East broadcasting
sation, said Syrian and Irasi
troops have joined forces in the
Samakh area at the southern tip OF
the Sea of Galilee. The town, re-
ported captured by the Syrians, is
two and a half miles inside Pales-
tine from both Syria and Trans
Jordan.
The Arabs claimed also to have
seized the Rutenburg power station
at the confluence of the Yarmuk
and Jordan Rivers. King Abdullah
of Trans-Jordan asserted the sta
ton supplied two-thirds OF Jewish
industry in Palestine. Arab volun-
teers were reported to have cap
tured the LYDIA airport, inside Is
rael territory less than 10 miles
from Tel Aviv, and another strip at
the Qalandiya Jewish colony.
Egyptian Foreign Minister All
med Khashaba Pasha said his gov
ernment has received no official
notification about recognition Of
Israel.
: when any such notification
reaches us, the Egyptian govern
ment will base its reply on interna-
tional law" he said.
Ship Cargoes Confiscated.
Egyptian authorities conflscated
cargoes of three European ships at
Alexandria, declaring they contained
contraband for Palestine. They
also seized 105 rifles aboard the S. S.
Memnon, flying the Egyptian flag
en- route from England to Beirut.
The Syria government at Damas-
Gus banned all night flights across
Syria and confined daylight air
traffic to corridors. The precau-
tions against bombings affected
eight weekly flights of Pan Ameri-
can and Transworld Airlines. Of
ficials of the American concerns
conferred with Syrian authorities
on schedule changes.
Syria closed her border to civilian
traffic and required foreigners to
get police permission to travel to
Beirut. Reporters were barred from
highways near the southern border.
Military sources at Damascus said
Arab forces are pouring" into Pal
estine across the Jordan. Syria and
Iraqi columns were reported de-
ploying for possible drives up the
western shore of the Sea of Galilee
and westward through the Beisan
. Valley
Logical Base for Drive.
Lebanese troops and Arab volun-
teers, supported by Syrian planes,
claimed victories at HaraWal and
Malakia villages in northern Pal
estine. Army officers said Malakia
is logical base for drive 10 miles
south against Safad, which Jewish
forces captured recently.
Port authorities at Alexandria
took 1900 tons of machinery, acids,
iron bars and pipes from the Nor
wegian ship Vigeld, which they said
was en- route to Palestine from Lon
don and Antwerp. The Italian ship
Aria was disgorged of 376 tons of
iron, cotton and Woolen goods, ma
chinery and ammunition. The
Richard Borchard, flying the British
flag en- route from Italy to Palestine,
lost 1900 tons of miscellaneous
goods.
A reliable source said the Saudi
Arabia government had agreed that
four CAT transport planes, seized In
Egypt from Trans World while en-
route for delivery to Saudi Arabia,
would be regarded as having been
delivered to Saudi Arabia herself.
The story of the Palestine war of
five Arab nations against the new
Jewish state was told in official
communiqueS and other reports
from Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Trans
Jordan and Iraq.
An official Arab military source
in Amman, Trans-Jordan's capital,
said the Egyptian army yesterday
occupied El Majdal in the southern
Palestine coastal belt.
El Majdal is about 80 miles north
of the Egyptian-Palestine border,
IA miles beyond GAIA, in territory
earmarked for Palestine Arabs
under the United Nations partition
plan. 1t Is less than 10 miles below
JeWish-claimed territory and less
than 80 miles from Tel Aviv.
A Damascus dispatch told of Arab
activity on all sides of the Sea of
Galilee which is surrounded by ter
ritory assigned to the Jews.
Settlements Are Shelled.
On the eastern shore, a Syrian
army communique said, Nureib was
cncircled, shelled and bombed from
The air.
To the south, below Samakh, the
Jewish settlements of MaSada and