Palestine War Spreading As U.N.O. is Talking

Grey River Argus, 28 October 1948, Page 5

Palestine War Spreading As U.N.O. is Talking

LONDON, Oct 27.

Fighting has spread on the central Iraqi front in Palestine at Gilboa and Megiddo, w'ith extensive shelling and machine-gun fire from Iraqi forces.

A United Nations spokesman in Haifa said there had been artillery and mortar fire, from both Jews ‘and Arabs yesterday and to-day in the vicinitv of Jenin on th e central front. It is said that at Paris, outside the United Nations’ Security Council an informed British source saiid that many delegates were considering stern action to mend the Palestine peace. Some were thinking of action under Chapter 7 of the United Nations charter, which involves meas ures for economic sanctions or even military action.

At Paris, during a discussion by the United Nations Security Council on Palestine, the Egyptian Foreign Minister, Ahamed Mohamed Khasaba Pasha, said that the Jews had been encouraged by the inactivity of tnc Security Council, to violate the truce. “We desire peace, but the Zionist" are dreaming only of conquest, even at the cost of peace,” he said. He called for the Security Council to restore the situation in the Negev. "We expect of you not only s cease fire and a return to the truce positions, but also energetic action which will make impossible any challenge to the prestige of the Security Council itself,” he added. The Lebanon representative, Fuad Amoun, said the Jewish offensive in the Negev was to gain an area which Count Bernadotte would have taxon from them and thus present the United Nations with another fai* accompli. He alleged that Israel wa° following a “policy of extermination inside the ocupied areas, restating in the Arabs fleeing from their homes.”

Syria’s delegate, Faris el Khour said the eScurity Council was laying itself open “to a contradiction which cannot be admitted,” by insisting _on arranging a truce and then doino- nothing when the truce was not complied with. Sir Alexander Cadogan (.Britain) assured the delegates that members were fill anxious tq do everything to maintain the prestige of the Security Council ,but it was often difficult with the limited information available. He suggested that the Council be given further time to study Dr. Bundle’s report. The delegate, Mahmoud Fawzi, declared that he had just been in touch with Cairo by telephone and, “fighting raged in the Negev a half-hour ago.” He added that Egypt had accepted the ceasefire, but was still under attack. He asked; “What is the Security Council going to do about this continued fighting,” he asked. The president of the council, Mr Warren Austin (United States) said the Council could not be lashed into action by Arab charges of bias. “This is a matter requiring study before anv action can be taken.” The Israeli delegate Aubrey Eban said invasion bv Egyptian armies of Palestine had brought to Palestinians a melancholy sequence of bombardment, expulsion, suffering, and disturbance of international relations. Egyptians did not possess a substantive right in the Negev. “Yet we witness their intolerable effort, to establish themselves in a place which is bv right part of the sovereign State of Israel.”