ARMISTICE FOR PALESTINE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 69, Issue 119, 1 March 1949, Page 3

ARMISTICE FOR PALESTINE

Negotiations to be Opened To-day ISRAEL, TRANSJORDAN AND LEBANON (N.Z.P.A.—Copyright) LONDON, February 28. An Israeli military spokesman said in Tel Aviv that armistice talks would begin simultaneously to-morrow at Rhodes and at Ras . el Nakura, on the northern Palestine border. The negotiations at Rhodes will be with Transjordan, and those at Ras el Nakura with the Lebanese. Both will be carried out under the supervision of Dr. Ralph Bunche, the ay ing United Nations mediator for Palestine. The “Daily Telegraph” prophesies hard bargaining between Transjordan and Israel over the eastern Negev. “Transjordan, whose forces have not suffered defeat, will be able to take a firmer line than Egypt, and will speak also for Iraq,” it says. “If (he spokesmen on both sides think realistically there seems no reason why a basis for an armistice should not be found providing the breathing spac Q which is needed in Tel Aviv as well as in the Arab capitals. The terrible plight of the Arab refugees can be dealt with only if some sort of provisional stability is restored.” The Egyptian Brigade, which has been trapped in the Faluja pocket f oi three months, began its evacuation on Saturday as agreed in the IsraelEgyptian armistice. The first day of the three-day evacuation passed off smoothly. The Egyptian troops left for Gaza, which is the first stage of their journey home. A United Nations spokesman saici there had been outstanding co-opo -ation from both Jews and Arabs.