UN Palestine Commission – Daily News Summary

UNITED NATIONS PALESTINE COMMISSION

DAILY NEWS SUMMARY

Jerusalem, 28 March – Two large-scale Arab attacks on Jewish convoys resulted in the death of 70 Jews. At Kabiri, East of Naharlya, 45 Jews were killed when 250 Arabs ambushed a convoy of five trucks and an armored car. Arab casualties were believed to have been 6 dead and 4 wounded.

In the other engagement 25 Jews were killed and 24 wounded in a 30-hour fight with 3,000 Arabs one and a half miles from Bethlehem in the Solomon’s Pool area. The convoy, which was returning after carrying supplies to KFar Etzion colony, contained 59 armored vehicles. After a truce had been negotiated by the Jewish Agency and the Arab Higher Committee, with the British as intermediaries, 149 survivors of the convoy surrendered to the Arabs and were escorted to safety by British troops. Haganah estimated the Arab dead and wounded at 135.

Thirteen other incidents occurred during the day, in which 5 Jews, 3 Arabs and 2 Britons were killed, and 12 Jews, 5 Arabs, and 8 Britons wounded. (NY TIMES)

Jerusalem, 28 March Official and unofficial reports listed at least 106 Jews and Arabs as killed in Easter weekend violence throughout Palestine. (UNITED PRESS, NEW YORK HERALD TRIBUNE)

Jerusalem, 28 March Dr. Hussein Khalidi, Secretary of the Arab Higher Executive Committee for Palestine, said today that there is no possibility that the Arabs will agree to remove Jerusalem from the Palestine war.

Asserting that the Arabs will protect the City's holy places during the coming battles, Dr. Khalidi charged that what he termed “sudden Jewish efforts” to obtain an international force to protect the Holy Land’s Shrines were due to a realization by the Jews that they could not protect their 100,000 people in Jerusalem. (NY HERALD TRIBUNE)

Tel Aviv, 28 March The battle for the Plain of Sharon and the twin cities of Tel Aviv and Jaffa was taking shape today as the last of 12,000 to 15,000 Arab farmers and villagers began moving out of the Jewish area around. Tel Aviv and Natauya. This was seen as the government to full-scale civil war in the area. (MY HERALD TRIBUNE)

Jerusalem, 28 March A ship containing 800 uncertified immigrants was reported to have been intercepted by the British Navy off the Palestine coast.

(NY TIMES)