LULL IN FIGHTING IN PALESTINE AS TRUCE PRELUDE

Wanganui Chronicle, 9 June 1948, Page 5

LULL IN FIGHTING IN PALESTINE AS TRUCE PRELUDE

Recd. 11.30 p.m. London, June 8.. Both the Jewish and Arab forces seem to be holding their fire in Jerusalem. There is a feeling that it is inevitable that the truce sought by the United Nations will soon become operative. The battle of Jerusalem has settled down to a desultory mortar duel. The Arab Legion commander continues to follow the policy of holding his fire until fired upon, and then returning 10 shells for every one received.

The Arab commander accused the Jews of using two institutions on the top of Mount Scopus as fortresses from which they were attacking Arab posts in the northern suburbs of Jerusalem- The commander said he could not withhold tire from these points much longer. There was a brief cease-fire at noon yesterday to allow the Arabs to return civilians, including a rabbi and his ’daughters, from the Old City to the New City. They were trapped when the Old City was captured. In Cairo King Farouk received the United Nations mediator, Count Bernadotte. The Egyptian Chamber of Deputies acceded to the Finance Minister’s request for additional credit of £21,000,009 for the Palestine campaign. Reuter’s Cairo correspondent reports that Count Bernadotte announced when lie arrived there from Amman yesterday that the next 24 or 36 hours should see a decision, one way or the other ,on a Palestine truce. Count Bernadotte has asked the Arab Governments to deliver their replies to his four-week truce proposals by June 10, says the Cairo correspondent of the Associated Press. The secretary-general of the Arab League (Azzam Pasha) has called a meeting the Arab diplomats to discuss Count Bernadotte’s proposals after he has conferred with the Count.

A Bagdad communique Hated that Iraqi forces have occupied the village of Shuaikai, north of Tulkarem. Egyptian forces have occupied the Jewish settlement of Beit Sanim, on the Mediterranean coast, between El Jdel and Esdud, taking 110 prisoners, according to a Cairo Defence Ministry communique. Bombers heavily raided Rehoboth with high exp-osives and incendiaries, starting big fires. Reuter's Tel Aviv correspondent says the Holy Land's Chief Rabbis, I. H. Herzog and Benzion Uznel, asked special prayers in the world’s synagogues expressing Judaism's grief and pain at the destruction of Old Jerusalem's synagogues. Rabbi Herzog said that of the Old City’s 27 synagogues 22 had been razed by fire and explosives. Over 500 scrolls and many sacred vessels, historical books and manuscripts had been destroyed since the Jewish garrison surrendered on May 28. He appealed to the world s conscience to halt “the sense.ess destruction of sites thrice holy.' Russian military men should be included in the observation team being formed for Palestine by me United Nations mediator, Count Bernadotte, Mr. Gromyko told the Security Council today. Reports from Palestine said Count Bernadotte nad privately invited only the United States, Belgium and France to provide military observers. These countrie are three Council members of the Truce Commission.

Mr. Gromyko said: "Why is it these three countries' alone can send military observers? We cannot acquiesce in this procedure." After considering the report from Count Bernadotte that he would probably be able to advise by Wednesday whether the truce efforts had succeeded or failed, the Council, with Mr Gromyko agreeing, decided to adjourn the all-Palestine debate until the afternoon of Thursday.