JORDAN: FIRST 350 REFUGEES CROSS ALLENBY BRIDGE TO JORDAN'S WEST BANK.

Record ID: 274812

  • Title: JORDAN: FIRST 350 REFUGEES CROSS ALLENBY BRIDGE TO JORDAN'S WEST BANK.
  • Date: 18th August 1967
  • Summary: ALLENBY BRIDGE WITH REFUGEES BEING GREETED BY RED CROSS WORKERS DISTRIBUTING FOOD PARCELS. Initials AB/VS/CR/LD Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 2nd September 1967 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: ALLENBY BRIDGE, JORDAN
  • Country: Jordan
  • Reuters ID: LVABJ9RAA5IV2FPY6JBMDZQR871A
  • Story Text: THE FIRST 350 OF THE ARAB REFUGEES WHO HAVE APPLIED FOR PERMISSION TO CROSS BACK TO THE ISRAELI OCCUPIED WEST BANK OF THE JORDAN FILED ACROSS THE ALLENBY BRIDGE, THIS MORNING.

    THE RETURN OF THE REFUGEES, SAID BY JORDAN TO NUMBER 200,000, HAD BEEN ARRANGED BY THE INTERNATIONAL RED CROSS. ABOUT 175,000 REFUGEES HAD REGISTERED FOR REPATRIATION TO THE WEST BANK, JORDANIAN SPOKESMAN SAID TODAY.

    TODAY'S REFUGEES WERE THE FIRST BATCH OF JORDANIANS ALLOWED BY THE ISRAELIS TO RETURN TO THE HOMES THEY FLED AFTER JUNE'S ARAB-ISRAELI WAR.

    THE REFUGEES RANGED FROM BEARDED GRANDFATHERS TO BABES IN ARMS. THEY CROSSED THE NARROW REED-BRINGED STREAM ALONG A WIDE NEW TIMBER SPAN LAID ON THE TWISTED GIRDERS OF THE ALLENBY BRIDGE.

    AS THEY STEPPED ON THE WEST BANK THEY PRODUCED PINK SLIPS OF PAPER SHOWING THEY HAD BEEN SCREENED BY THE ISRAELIS. ISRAELI OFFICIALS SAID THAT FEWER THAN FIVE PERCENT HAD BEEN TURNED BACK AS SECURITY RISKS.

    DOCTORS AND NURSES WERE ON HAND IN THE BROILING SUN TO ASSIST CHILDREN AND OLD PEOPLE. MOBILE ARMY CANTEENS PROVIDED ORANGE JUICE, ROLLS, TOMATOES, APPLES AND CHEESE UNDER THE SHADE OF A EUCALYPTUS CROVE. MOST ATE THE FOOD, BUT A FEW YOUNGER MEN REFUSED, HURLING THE ORANGE JUICE INTO THE DUST AND THROWING THEN FOOD AWAY.

    THE REFUGEES BROUGHT FEW PERSONAL BELONGINGS WITH THEM, APART FROM CLOTHES. IN ORDER TO SPEED THE RETURN LARGER POSSESSIONS WILL BE SENT OVER LATER. AFTER PASSING THE SECURITY CHECKPOINT, THEY CLIMBED ON TO WAITING LORRIES WHICH ROARED OFF DOWN THE DUSTY ROAD TO NABLUS, JENIN AND OTHER WEST BANK TOWNS.

    ISRAELI AUTHORITIES HAVE BEEN EXPRESSING THEIR FEARS ABOUT SECURITY. ARMED MEN HAVE BEEN ARRESTED IN VARIOUS ISRAELI OCCUPIED TOWNS AND ARMS CACHES DISCOVERED. AMMAN RADIO HAS BEEN CALLING FOR CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE ON THE WEST BANK.

    ISRAEL HAS WARNED IT WILL DEAL SEVERELY WITH ANY OUTBREAKS OF VIOLENCE OR SABOTAGE AND NEW POLICE POSTS HAVE BEEN SET UP IN BETHLEHEM AND NABLUS WHICH, WITH JERICHO AND HEBRON, HOUSE MOST OF THE REFUGEES.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register