Armed Egyptians who infiltrated far beyond the Israel-Egyptian border last night slew four Israel civilian workmen in one ambush near Ness Ziona and killed the father and wounded the mother and three children in a family ambushed near Rehovoth.
In two other incidents during the night, four Israel soldiers were injured, two seriously, when their jeep hit a mine near Tel Rim, near the Gaza strip frontier. Another soldier was wounded when a patrol jeep was ambushed near Rehovoth.
(In Jerusalem, Premier Moshe Sharett called Defense Minister David Ben Gurion, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Moshe Dayan and several other Cabinet members to urgent consultations in the wake of the latest Egyptian attacks against Israel lives and property. This emergency meeting was called after reports of Egyptian attacks continuing into the sixth consecutive day.)
(In London, the Israel Embassy issued a statement describing the situation along the Israel-Egyptian border in the Gaza area as “most serious.” The statement detailed Egyptian armistice violations since the breaking off of discussions between representatives of the two states and repeated the warning issued by the Israel Government that it will take all measures necessary to protect the lives and property of its citizens.)
The ambush of the four workmen took place some 25 miles north of the Gaza strip border. The attack on the family occurred several miles south of this point. The family was returning to its home at Kubeiba, lighting its way by lantern. When the father, mother, three children and one grandchild were within earshot of their home the Arabs opened fire. Another member of the family, in the house, heard the father call to the others to keep down. When rescuers arrived they found five of the six lying in pools of blood and a four-year-old child unharmed. The head of the family, Numa Jacob Hai, died later in the hospital. The others are still in the hospital, all in serious condition.
These incidents followed a day of marked military activity in the Gaza area. The military spokesman here announced that throughout the entire day, until late in the evening, Egyptian posts maintained a heavy fire on Israel outposts along the Gaza strip border.
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