U.N.O. ORDERS IGNORED AT JERUSALEM

Grey River Argus, 31 August 1948, Page 5

U.N.O. ORDERS IGNORED AT JERUSALEM

LONDON, August 29. The* Egyptian Government, in a cablegram to the U.N.O. mediator, Count Bernadotte, said that Egyptian machine-guns had shot down the plane of the chief French observer with the United. Nations truce team in Palestine, Colonel Queru, who was killed. The plane, piloted by a French officer, was flying over an Arab-held area when it was hit by a burst of machine-gun fire. The pilot was seriously wounded and died soon after he landed the aircraft. The Egyptian Government expressed its regret. It stated that the United Nations markings were not visible, and the plane was flying at 3000 feet in the wronpcorridor for access to Gaza. United. Nations officials said that Colonel Queru’s aeroplane was painted white, with United Nations markings. Haifa headquarters had sent to Gaza 24 hours’ notice of the flight by Colonel Queru. JERUSALEM NEUTRAL ZONE AGREED TO All the Arab States and the Jews agreed to the establishment of a neutral zone in Jerusalem from mid-day to-morrow. Count Bernadotte’s chief of. staff, Colonel Lundstroem, said U.N.O. observers would be stationed in the zone to watch any armed incursion. He predicted a quick end to the “ruthless battle”- in Jerusalem. AGREEMENT IS NOT OBSERVED! On Sunday night, however, neither the Jews nor the Arabs had moved to leave a neutral zone. The both sides ignored three United Nations demands to withdraw from their occupied fighting positions. Count Bernadotte’s representative, General W. E. Riley, asked (1) that Jewish’ and "Arab forces should withdraw from the Red Cross zone south of Jerusalem; (2) that the Arab Legion should withdraw from a building in Deirabutor, on the southern outskirts of the city; and (3) that Arab legionnaires should withdraw from positions on Mount Zion. Arabs fired on observers when they went to check whether the Arabs had left the building in Deirabutor. JEWISH ATTACK IN HOLY CITY (Rec. 10.55) LONDON, Aug. 30 A spokesman of th 4 Arab Legion, in Amman, (the capital of Transjordan) said that the Jews had renewed their violation of the truce in Jerusalem last night, when they made an attack in the Zion area, which lasted for seven hours. The United Nations observers have found three Jewish bodies in the Arab territory there.