TEL AVIV CUT OFF

Chronicle (Levin), 1 June 1948, Page 5

TEL AVIV CUT OFF

( N.Z.P.A. -

-Reuter,

Arabs Preparing Ail-Out Assault On City

Copyright)

Received Tuesday, 10.25 a.m. LONDON, May 31. Iraqi armour is now under five miles from Tel Aviv and is pusliing southwards towards the city in pursuit of the Jews ffeeing from the shattered settlement of Kojm, according to a Baghdad communique. The communique claims heavy damage to Jewish convoys on the Tel Aviv- Jerusalem -Road. According to Cairo reports, Iraqi troops driving from the east have reached the "Mediterranean and. cut the Jewish forces in two. These reports' say that Tel Aviv is now completely cut off from Northern Palestine by the Arab chrust to the iea. .The Arabs are preparing an all-out assault on Tel Aviv. An Amman communique says „hat the ' Arab Legion smashed a Jewish assault in the Latrun area. The enemy left behind 114 killed, and abandoned four armoured cars, large quantities of arms and ummunition and trench digging machines. The communique adds ohat a big Jewish force launched an attack on Legion positions blocking the Tel Aviv- Jerusalem Road at the eoastal end of the precipitous canyon of Babelwad. The Jews by noon were beaten and dispersed. Legion artillery destroyed seven ;ewish armoured cars yesterday while they were attempting to .eave the Holy City in the direction of Latrun. British military sources in Haifa say that the Arabs are reported to "be burning "the captured Jewish Old City of Jerusalem "as a sani.ary measure." '