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concerning fortifying the Gaza area and establishing an armed Palestinian force sufficient to protect this area, and submits to Your Excellency the following proposals:

First: Establish military fortifications and strongholds on the border between Egypt and (Israel), in a manner that guarantees protection of the area from any sudden Jewish aggression. We draw Your Excellency’s attention to the importance of the fortifications established by the Syrian military authorities along their border with (Israel), which had the greatest effect in repelling Jewish attacks.

Second: Increase the Arab armed forces in the Gaza area by an amount sufficient to repel any aggression the Jews may attempt in the future.

Third: Work to arm as many Palestinians as possible after training them in a way that makes them an effective force in defensive operations and in assisting the Egyptian Armed Forces to protect the area.

Fourth: Since the Gaza area is a military zone and should remain protected from spies and the fifth column that is wreaking corruption there, we draw Your Excellency’s attention to the seriousness of this matter and to the fact that the safety of the area, indeed the safety of Egypt itself, requires addressing it with the greatest care and close attention, to cut off the roots of the foreign elements, colonialist, Zionist, and anarchist, that are working from various directions to achieve their dangerous aims and purposes in this sensitive region of the Arab homeland.

Please accept, Your Excellency, our sincere greetings and abundant respect.

14 Rajab 1374 9 March 1955

President of the Arab Higher Committee for Palestine

*

On 6 Sha‘ban 1375 (19 March 1956), I sent Mr. al-Hajj Musa al-Suri, acting representative of the Arab Committee in the Gaza Strip, a statement calling on the citizens of the Strip