Smash in Israel, Associated Press, May 23, 1948.

Cairo, May 22. (AP)-Egyptian mobile forces have entered Bethlehem, five miles from Jerusalem, and Majdal, an important military objective on the Mediterranean coast, it was announced tonight in a communique.

The ministry of national defense also reported bombing attacks on fortifications at Negba, northeast of Gaza, and industrial plants and an electric power station southeast of Tel Aviv.
Confused by Weather.

The communique said the Egyptian Royal Air Force, confused by bad weather, attacked the British airfield at Ramit David, fourteen miles southeast of Haifa, instead of the Jewish airport at Megiddo, south of Nazareth.

Five planes were lost, it added, after saying that the Egyptian pilots had “caused damage and causalities” at Ramit David.

(In Tel Aviv the British said their fighter pilots shot down four Egyptian Spitfires, and that four members of a British ground crew had been killed and three wounded. Two British planes were destroyed on the runway.)

Entry of Egyptian mobile units into Bethlehem climaxed a long sweep-some forty miles-north from Beersheba which was first reported yesterday.

Apparently the aim is to join with the Arab Legion in a grand assault on Jerusalem where the Jews are fighting a desperate last ditch stand.

A Parailel Thrust.

This lightning thrust north through Central Palestine was being paralleled to a degree along the Mediterranean coast.

The communique said that yesterday Egyptian forces “carried on large scale operations” and advanced northward to Majdal, a distance of some twelve miles from Gaza.

“Our forces by clever maneuvering in a night advance by moonlight.” the communique said, “entered Majdal which is not only important from a military viewpoint but because of its old known religious relics.”

On the way the Egyptian troops occupied Hirbiya, Barhara, Beit Hogam and Arbra and also took over Jura on the seacoast.

The Egyptian communique spoke of “successful” bombing of objectives northeast of Gaza and around Tel Aviv. In addition to attacking fortifications at Negba, the communique said their planes strafed Jewish armored cars near Rishon El Zion, five miles southeast of Tel Aviv, the Jewish provisional capital.

“Our planes raided an electric power station and heavy industrial plants southeast of Tel Aviv, scoring many direct hits and explosions,” the communique said.