Four Israeli soldiers were killed and six wounded this morning when Egyptian forces on the west bank of the Suez Canal opened fire on Israeli forces in the Kantara area. The attack began just before 8 a.m. local time, when the Egyptians opened up with small-arms fire. After about 20 minutes, artillery was brought into play. The Israelis returned the fire.
United Nations observers proposed a cease-fire to take effect at 8:45 a.m. to which the Israelis agreed. The Egyptians disregarded the arrangement and continued shelling until just after 9 a.m. with the Israelis replying.
Israeli sources asserted that the Egyptian attack had been planned well in advance, citing the fact that since last evening, the Egyptians had moved numbers of civilians out of the Suez Canal area.
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.
