FIGHTING CONTINUES DESPITE CEASEFIRE IN PALESTINE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22654, 3 June 1948, Page 5

FIGHTING CONTINUES DESPITE CEASEFIRE IN PALESTINE

(N.Z.P.A.—Router— Copyright.)

(11.15 a.m.) LONDON, June 2. Although the Jews and Arabs have accepted the United Nations Security Council’s order for a four-week truce, fighting continues in Palestine today.

Jewish Army headquarters in Tel Aviv declared that the Arabs had already violated the cease-fire order five times, shelling Jerusalem throughout the night and attacking in north and south Palestine. Sorties into Transjordan

women and children in Meirun, a village west of Safad. The Irgun Zvai Ltumi, in a broadcast, announced that the Jews blew up a big Trappist monastery at Latrun which the Arabs used as a strong-point on the Tel Aviv-Jeru-salem road.

Reuter’s correspondent in Amman, capital of Transjordan, however, reports that within a few hours of both sides accepting the cease-lire proposal* Jewish light armoured vehicles attacked Transjordan territory and penetrated eight miles beyond the border.

According to a British United Press message from Cairo, the Egyptian Prime Minister, Nokrashy Pasha, said the Jewish demand for the continued admission of immigrants into Palestine was unacceptable. Jews’ Conditions for Truce

They attacked the police station at Ghores Safi at the southern end of the Dead Sea. killing eight of the garrison of 15 policemen. The Security Council is meeting at Lake Success today to consider the Arab States and Israel’s replies to the council’s cease-fire order.

The Jewish Provisional Government announced that it had ordered all Jewish forces to cease fire at 3 a.m. Palestine time, on Wednesday provided the Arabs did likewise. The order was given on the following assumptions: 1. The ban on the Arab import of arms shall apply to the delivery of arms from stocks owned or controlled by foreign Powers within the Arab States. 1. Neither side will seek an advance beyond the present conditions. 3. Freedom of access to Jerusalem for food and other essentials. 4. An attempt to stop or impede the normal transport of goods to Israel will be regarded as an act of armed

Copies of the Arabs' reply have been circulated to the Security Council delegates, but so far no comment has been made.

The Arab States' reply to the Security Council, the text of which was released in Cairo, said the Arabs would continue fighting until the final cease-fire terms were accepted. Military circles in Cairo said that the military initiative remained with the Arabs and they hoped the Arab States’ cease-fire conditions would be accepted so “that peace might return to an Arab land in which Jewish minority rights will be respected.” Arabs Fear Uneasy Lull

force. 3. While Isreal agreec that immigrants of military age would not be trained or mobilised, it was understood that the Government’s freedom to admit immigrants regardless of age, would be impaired.

The Arab reply said the cease-fire would be an uneasy interval leading to further violence unless there were guarantees. The Arab Governments reaffirmed their desire for peace and to live amicably beside the Jews in Palesime. The reply said it wou.d be againstthe purpose of the cease-fire order to permit a flood of Jewish immigianis of military age to enter Palestine. These immigrants were b-vng brought into the country with the side object ot joiiiing the Zionist tororists.

Israel’s letter of acceptance went to great lengths to contend that the points it raised were not new conditions but merely an interpretation of the council’s appeal. It is reported at Lake Success that the Arab conditions for acceptance will conflict with the points that the Jews mention. A number of aircraft on the ground at an R.A.F. station were damaged in the Jewish air raid on Amman. The British military authorities in the city said that 12 Arabs were killed and 30 injured. There were no military casualties. There was indignation at the Royai Palace over the attack against civilians. The raid consisted of about four flights over the city onlv one plane being seen each time. About 10 bombs were dropped. Two women were arrested on suspicion of signalling to the raiding plane after the police saved them from an angry crowd Major Battle Looms

The Arab Governments considered the Security Council’s resolution did not adequately guarantee that the Jews would respect the conditions of the cease-fire.

The Arabs, “as members of a regional organisation responsible for preserving order in their area' desired to co-op-erate with Count Folke Bernadotte and with the Truce Commission in supervising the execution of the cease-fire conditions and they urged also the appointment of an impartial body to supervise the carrying out of the ceasefire conditions.

The Associated Press correspondent in Cairo says the reply did not make it c’ear whether the Arab acceptance of the armistice is conditional on the Security Council’s agreeing points made in reply. A prolonged debate during which fighting will go on appeared likely. Jews Claim Start of Offensives The cease-fire order came at a difficult time when the Israel Army had mounted an offensive in the north against the Arab triangle and opened an offensive in the south against the Egyptians, said the Jewish chief of operations in Tel Aviv. Other new offensive operations were called off barely in time. He added that in 18 days since Israel was proclaimed as a State the Arab forces had not occupied any part of the soil of Israel set out in the partition plan. Israel militady headquarters at Tel Aviv said that Egyptian troops violated the cease-fire order today and attacked Negba, on the southern front. The Jews'also claimed that aircraft had bombed Hulda on the central front. In the Egytpian attack on Negba tanks and artillery supported the troops. Massacre by Jews Alleged The Egyptian newspaper A 1 Ahram claims that the Jews killed all Arab

Meanwhile, while the Arab reply to the United Nations is awaited, the Arab semi-circle is tightening around Tei Aviv and communiques from both the Arabs and Jews indicate that a major battle is brewing along a 40-mile front from Jerusalem, north-westward to Tulkarem.

The Jewish forces attacked at several nlaces along the line in an attempt to block the Arab threat to Tel Aviv. An Iraqi communique claims that Iraqi troops stand around Tel Aviv in a half-circle, seven to nine miles from the city Iraqi units occupied Kalkilieh. 15 miles north east of Tel Aviv and also a Jewish settlement 10 miles east of Tel Aviv.

The communique claims that Arab irregulars and Iraqis recaptured the main pumping station of Ras el Am on the water pipeline to Jerusalem seven miles from Tel Aviv and the Jews acknowledge this. The communique says: “The enemy was forced to retreat in panic from Kean Yona on the Tel Aviv-llaifa road, leaving a number of dead and injured. The Haganah commander was killed. “Iraqi bombers heavily attacked Merhavva. a Jewish settlement to the south of Nazareth, damaging a number of enemy armoured cars and guns and forcing the Haganah to withdraw.” Reuter's correspondent at Kyrenia says that Arab sources there report that Egyptian forces are attacking all the Jewish colonies on the Palestine coast between Ashdod and Tel Aviv. Egyptian planes bombed the Jewish town of Rehobolh and left it in flames and set fire to the hangars at Acre airport.

A Jewish communique reports air attacks on the western fringe of the ‘Arab triangle" held by Iraqi troops and on Arab concentrations near Latrun and Deir Ayoub on the Tel AvivJerusalem road.

Jewish forces occupied the village of Beithtima, south-east of El Mejdel The Arabs evacuated Hoj, midway between Gaza and Doroth The communique also says that the Jews shot down an Arab Spitfire in an air battle over Tulkarem. It adds that the Jews bombed lour Arab tanks and other targets. A Syrian communique says that a Syrian plane raided Naharya, about six miles north of Acre, and sank two ships at anchor.