An Israel military spokesman this week-end denied a report by the Beirut radio that heavily armed Israel troops using mortars drove 12,000 Arabs from some 55,000 acres of land which was ready for harvesting.
The Israel Government stated that Israel farmers in the Hebron area “extended the cultivation of land” inside Israel. The only untoward incident–which occurred on May 3, a day before the supposed military operation–was the routine arrest of three Arabs apprehended by an Israel patrol while attempting to infiltrate from Transjordan territory. The spokesman pointed out that Transjordan, which occupies the area near which the operation allegdly took place, made no protest.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.