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Quiet Settles over Palestine at Truce Hour, Associated Press, NY Herald Tribune, June 11, 1948.

Count Folke BernadotteClick here to view the original article.

CAIRO, June 10.-Armed quiet began settling over the Middle East today after twenty-six days of the Palestine war and in spite of some discordant notes. A four-week truce was due to begin tomorrow at 9 a. m. local time (2 a. m., New York time).

Count Folke Bernadotte, United Nations negotiator of the cease-fire, postponed a visit to Amman and Jerusalem from tomorrow until Saturday. He planned also a visit to Rhodes, a Greek island 550 miles from Palestine, where he will set up his headquarters in an effort to conclude a permanent peace for Palestine. He will return here Tuesday.

Irgun Zvai Leumi, Jewish underground group which already has threatened to disregard any truce at Jerusalem, said in a broadcast that the Israel government’s acceptance of the truce agreement was a “great blonde.” It said the agreement was as bad as the 1939 British White Paper limiting Jewish immigration into Palestine.

The Lebanese government authorized seizure of Israel-bound goods on ships touching at Beirut. Israel, in accepting the truce, declared any Arab attempt to confiscate or hold up cargoes would be regarded as a “warlike act.”

Abdul Rahman Azzam Pasha, secretary general of the Arab League, declared the truce did not mean war would not be resumed if the Jews “insist on creation of a Zionist state.”

He said the Arab League would “use every method in order to collect information as to any violation of the truce conditions” and any such violations would lead “to breaking of the truce at once.”

A government official at Amman, capital of Trans-Jordan, said “not even a King Solomon could convince the Arabs that the Jews will observe the truce fairly.” He declared that already the Jews at Tel Aviv were “mobilizing Mata Haris (women agents) to work on the men charged with exercising the controls.”

Dispatches from Amman said the Arab people appeared puzzled by their leaders’ acceptance of the truce, which the people regarded as a Jewish stratagem to gain time and throw the Arab military machine out of its stride.

An Egyptian Defense Ministry communique reported tonight that 300 Jewish fighters were killed by Egyptian troops at Nitsanim. on the southern Palestine coastal plain between Majdal and Isdud. The communique added that Egyptian planes raided Tel Aviv and a number of Jewish settlements, causing damage and starting fires.

Seven American Navy and marine officers arrived at Cairo as the vanguard of American, French and Belgian observers and controllers who will attempt to enforce the terms of the truce on the spot. A staff of Swedish colonels already is on hand to supervise the work of the observers.

Jews Report Syrian Attack

By wireless to the Herald Tribune Copyright, 1948, New York Herald Tribune Inc.

TEL AVIV, June 10,-An Israeli. Army communique said tonight that Syrian troops attacked today across the frontier and tried to seize Mishmar Hayarden, south of Lake Hula. It said the initial assaults were defeated and “dozens” of Syrians killed but that the assaults continued during the afternoon. Jewish settlements in the Jordan valley were shelled.

On the central front Arab Legion armored units attacked and occupied the Jewish strongpoint of Gesar, near Ramle, But Israeli forces retook the town. The Jews were making aggressive moves toward the main Legion base at Latrun. These actions developed from last-minute attempts to stabilize positions on the important Tel Aviv-Jerusalem highway.

In the south an encircled but still vigorous Egyptian armored invasion force thrust at Israeli positions along the Gaza-Majdal road, but apparently made no real effort to break out. The Jews said they quickly sealed off the attack.

Britain Offers Coastal Watch

LONDON, June 10 (AP).-A Foreign Office spokesman said today Great Britain may offer the United Nations “an air and sea watch over the coast of Palestine to insure that truce terms will be observed.”

The spokesman would not say whether there had been any United Nations request for this. The U. N. has asked a patrol by vessels of the United States, Belgium and France, which are represented on the Consular Truce Commission in Jerusalem.

If such a British offer should be accepted, it would be the first British commitment in Palestine since Britain gave up the League of Nations mandate May 15. Britain for two years blockaded the Palestine coast against visaless Jewish immigrants.

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