Office of the Historian

867N.00/10–1749: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Embassy in Israel 1

confidential
Washington, October 20, 1949—8 p. m.

673. FYI Oct 18 McGhee informed Elath our concern over report in Jlem tel 625, Oct 172 rptd to you 127. McGhee re-emphasized our view mil phase in Pal definitely finished and no justification for further mil action any sort. McGhee said Israeli actions this type cld only serve exacerbate present situation and make settlement more difficult. Elath was requested inform Israeli Govt our views.

Acheson
  1. This telegram was repeated to Cairo and Jerusalem.↩
  2. Not printed; it reported information from General Riley that Israeli armed forces had attacked Beit Hanun, a town on the northern tip of the Gaza strip which divided the Israeli and Egyptian zones. The Israeli-Egyptian armistice did not specifically permit or prohibit civilians in the area but Arab civilians had infiltrated during the summer to cultivate their orange groves and to harvest the now-ready crop. The attack drove out the civilians, Egyptian forces reporting 4 known dead and 19 wounded (867N.00/10–1749).↩