United Nations forces are continuing to take in supplies to the Egyptian Third Army trapped on both banks of the Suez Canal. The thirsty, hungry soldiers remain a threat to the fragile ceasefire which was broken again on Monday (November 5th) with the crackle of machine gun fire in the Sinai desert.

On Monday (November 5th), a convoy of United Nations lorries made its way to a U.N. post on the west bank of the Canal. They were bringing rations from Cairo for the beleaguered troops. The supply operation has been going on at a snails pace. The lorries have to pass through Israeli lines and they have been subjected to rigorous checks.

When the rations do arrive, the meagre portions are shared out among the 20,000 soldiers who have been cut off. Each man has been receiving a few pints of warm water, cheese, biscuits, vitamin tablets, sugar, tea and coffee and a few cigarettes.

The Finnish units of the UN peacekeeping force are stationed along the Canal where the supply convoy arrived on Monday.