The Israeli army yesterday evacuated the Sinai stronghold known as Budapest, the only point on the Barlev Line that was not overrun by the Egyptians during the Yom Kippur War. The army also evacuated from two other northern Sinai strongholds, Balooza to the south of Budapest and Romani to the east. The evacuation means that by Sunday Israel and Egypt will be situated on the new lines with the United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF) between them in a buffer zone.
The installations at Balooza and Romani were handed over to the UN force for $10 million for use as a logistics and operational base. The Balooza area also contains an airstrip. The $10 million figure was arrived at through negotiations between UNEF officials here and the Israeli Defense Ministry. By purchasing the facilities from Israel the UN saved a great deal of money, since the facilities would have had to be installed for use by UNEF members.
The ceremony at noon yesterday in which Israel turned over the Budapest stronghold to a Swedish officer serving with UNEF, was an emotional one. Israelis who had served in the post which overlooks the Mediterranean entrance to the Suez Canal were invited to attend.
“We only hope that we shall not be called to return once again,” one soldier said. “It’s part of my home,” another said. “I lived here four years, twice it was constructed and twice it was destroyed. It is not very pleasant to see it all go; yet time has come for that too.”
The area did not look like a stronghold yesterday. The bunkers, the trenches, the tank positions and machine gun holes, the neat dirt paths with white stone boundaries, the stone piles used for protection against shelling, and the barbed wire fences were all levelled. Nothing remained but the sand dunes, scattered stones and the tracks of the trucks that were going back and forth picking up the last of the material to be taken away.
PROBLEM OF 4500 BEDOUINS
Yesterday’s withdrawal from northern Sinai also involved the problem of some 4500 Bedouins who live in the area and worked as fishermen or as service workers for the Israelis, the Egyptians and the UN. The Bedouins, whose Israeli cards were taken away, are now under the jurisdiction of the UN. However, Israel said it will allow teachers from El Arish to continue staffing the Bedouin schools and the Bedouins will be able to get treatment at the El Arish Hospital as well as other help. Egypt has sent a convoy of food for the Bedouins.
The Bedouins will also be able to move freely between Israeli and Egyptian territory. This has caused some anxiety among Israeli security authorities who feel that the Bedouins could be used by the Egyptians for spying or terrorist acts.
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