UNITED NATIONS
Department of Public Information
Press and Publications Bureau
Lake Success, New York
Press Release PAL/471
23 March 1949
SECRETARY-GENERAL OF ARAB LEAGUE REQUESTS
UN INVESTIGATION IN FALOUJA
Abdul Rahman Azzam Pasha, Secretary-General of the Arab League, addressed the following cable, dated 20 March, to Secretary-General Trygve Lie (Unofficial translation from French):
"Although the Armistice Agreement concluded at Rhodes on 24 February between Egyptian and military authorities provides for guarantees ensuring the security of the Arab population of the Falouja district, and of their property, I am informed by an authoritative source that after the evacuation the Israelis have adopted with respect to this population a policy of persecution, confiscating their property, killing some and forcing others to abandon their homes.
"This is a repetition, pure and simple, of the systematic policy adopted by the Zionists since the beginning of the present conflict. The persistence of the Zionists in following this policy will result in jeopardizing the solution of the Palestine conflict. I therefore draw the attention of the civilized world, incarnated in the United Nations, to these acts and appeal to human conscience to put and end to these acts committed by Zionists which are directed towards the extermination of the Arab population in regions under Jewish control in Palestine.
"I request Your Excellency to order an investigation to verify these to establish responsibilities."
This cable has been transmitted to the Acting Mediator, Dr. Ralph J. Bunche to the United Nations Conciliation Commission for Palestine for their information.
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Document Type: Press Release
Document Sources: United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI)
Subject: Palestine question
Publication Date: 23/03/1949