Cease-fire in the Negeb/Troop withdrawal – Note from Truce Supervision Headquarters

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DUAL DISTRIBUTION

NOTE DATED 26 OCTOBER 1948, ADDRESSED BY TRUCE SUPERVISION

HEADQUARTERS ON BEHALF OF THE ACTING MEDIATOR TO THE

GOVERNMENT OF EGYPT AND THE PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT

OF ISRAEL CONCERNING CEASE-FIRE IN THE NEGEB

The following cable from Haifa sets forth the text of the note sent by Truce Supervision Headquarters at Haifa, on behalf of the Acting Mediator, to the Government of Egypt and to the Provisional Government of Israel concerning the withdrawal of forces to the truce lines in the Negeb. This note was delivered to the two Governments on 26 October.

ACTING MEDIATOR REQUESTS FOLLOWING IDENTICAL COMMUNICATION SHOULD BE TRANSMITTED AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE TO FOREIGN MINISTERS IN CAIRO AND TEL AVIV. REPLY SHOULD BE ADDRESSED TO HIM DIRECT IN PARIS AND COPY OF REPLY TO UNITED NATIONS HEADQUARTERS HAIFA.

1)  ON 19 OCTOBER SECURITY COUNCIL ADOPTED WITH CERTAIN AMENDMENTS SEVERAL CONCLUSIONS WHICH ACTING MEDIATOR HAD SUBMITTED TO IT AS SUGGESTIONS IN PARAGRAPH 16 OF HIS REPORT DEALING WITH THE SITUATION IN THE NEGEB AREA.

2) FIRST CONCLUSION ACTED UPON ON 22 OCTOBER WHEN EGYPTIAN AND ISRAELI GOVERNMENTS ORDERED CEASE-FIRE WHICH WAS "INDISPENSABLE CONDITION TO A RESTORATION OF SITUATION".

3) I HAVE ACCORDINGLY THE HONOUR TO DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO THE FOLLOWING CONCLUSIONS TO BE IMPLEMENTED AFTER CEASE-FIRE:

"(a) WITHDRAWAL OF BOTH PARTIES FROM ANY  POSITIONS NOT OCCUPIED AT TIME OF OUTBREAK;

"(b) ACCEPTANCE BY BOTH PARTIES OF CONDITIONS SET FORTH IN CENTRAL TRUCE SUPERVISION BOARD DECISION NUMBER TWELVE AFFECTING CONVOYS;

"(c) AGREEMENT BY BOTH PARTIES TO UNDERTAKE NEGOTIATIONS THROUGH UNITED NATIONS INTERMEDIARIES OR DIRECTLY AS REGARDS OUTSTANDING PROBLEMS IN NEGEB, AND PERMANENT STATIONING OF UNITED NATIONS OBSERVERS THROUGHOUT AREA."

4)  WITH A VIEW TO A PROMPT IMPLEMENTATION OF CONCLUSION UNDER (a) ABOVE, I SHALL COMMUNICATE TO YOU WITHOUT DELAY COPY OF A MAP WHICH HAS BEEN MADE AVAILABLE TO UNITED NATIONS OBSERVERS CHARGED BY CHIEF OF STAFF OF ACTING MEDIATOR TO OBSERVE AND SUPERVISE RETURN OF ISRAELI AND EGYPTIAN FORCES TO THEIR POSITIONS OF 14 OCTOBER.

5)  TRUCE LINE SHOWN ON ABOVE MENTIONED MAP AND WHICH CORRESPONDS TO POSITIONS HELD ON 14 OCTOBER WILL BE PROVISIONALLY IMPOSED BY TRUCE SUPERVISION ORGANIZATION OF UNITED NATIONS.  SOUTH OF THAT TRUCE LINE A NUMBER OF POSITIONS WERE HELD BY EITHER PARTY ON 14 OCTOBER. BOTH PARTIES WILL BE DIRECTED BY TRUCE SUPERVISION ORGANIZATION TO WITHDRAW FROM ANY POSITIONS NOT OCCUPIED AT TIME OF OUTBREAK.

6) PERMANENT TRUCE LINE WILL BE ESTABLISHED AFTER ALL FORCES HAVE WITHDRAWN FROM POSITIONS NOT OCCUPIED AT TIME OF OUTBREAK.

7) THE UNITED NATIONS OBSERVERS STATIONED AT GAZA AND TEL AVIV WILL DETERMINE ACTUAL POSITIONS TO WHICH EACH PARTY SHALL RETURN, EXCEPT AS REGARDS SECTOR EXTENDING EAST FROM NORTH-SOUTH 150 GRID TO THE GOVERNMENT HOUSE NEUTRAL ZONE IN JERUSALEM (SEE MAP). SPECIAL INSTRUCTION REGARDING RETURN OF ISRAELI AND EGYPTIAN FORCES TO THEIR POSITIONS OF 14 OCTOBER IN THIS SECTOR WILL BE ISSUED LATER BY CHIEF OF STAFF OF ACTING MEDIATOR.

8) THE FACT THAT A PARTY DISPUTES A POSITION ASSIGNED TO IT BY UNITED NATIONS OBSERVERS DOES NOT AUTHORIZE IT TO REFUSE TO OCCUPY SUCH ASSIGNED POSITION BUT IT MAY FILE A FORMAL COMPLAINT TO UNITED NATIONS HEADQUARTERS HAIFA WHICH WILL INVESTIGATE MATTER AND DECIDE UPON IT.

9) ISRAELI FORCES WILL RETURN TO THEIR FORMER POSITIONS NORTH OF TRUCE LINE AND ALSO SOUTH OF IT IN NEGEB ACCORDING TO A TIME TABLE TO BE APPROVED BY  CHIEF OF STAFF OF THE ACTING MEDIATOR.

10) EGYPTIAN FORCES WILL RETURN TO THEIR FORMER POSITIONS SOUTH OF TRUCE LINE ACCORDING TO TIME TABLE.TO BE APPROVED BY CHIEF OF STAFF OF ACTING MEDIATOR.

11) ROUTES OF MOVEMENT FOR FORCES INVOLVED WILL BE DETERMINED WHEN NECESSARY BY CHIEF OF STAFF OF ACTING MEDIATOR.

12) THE ABOVE PROVISIONS HAVE BEEN REVISED TO ENSURE THAT MOVEMENTS OF TROOPS NECESSARY TO GIVE EFFECT TO PARAGRAPH (a) OF THE RESOLUTION ADOPTED BY THE SECURITY COUNCIL BE CARRIED OUT IN AN ORDERLY MANNER AND WITH THE LEAST POSSIBLE FRICTION.

13)  A SUFFICIENT NUMBER OF UNITED NATIONS OBSERVERS WILL SUPERVISE WITHDRAWAL FROM POSITIONS NOT OCCUPIED BY EITHER PARTY ON CO-OPERATION OF YOUR GOVERNMENT FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF RESOLUTION OF SECURITY COUNCIL. THIS RESOLUTION PROVIDES IN PARTICULAR FOR "PERMANENT STATIONING OF UNITED NATIONS OBSERVERS THROUGHOUT AREA."

14)  AS REGARDS FACILITIES AND CO-OPERATION WHICH UNITED NATIONS OBSERVERS AND OTHER TRUCE SUPERVISION PERSONNEL ARE ENTITLED TO EXPECT FROM GOVERNMENTS AND AUTHORITIES CONCERNED, I HAVE THE HONOUR TO REFER TO PARAGRAPHS (a) AND FOLLOWING OF THE OTHER RESOLUTION ADOPTED BY THE SAME 367th MEETING OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL ON 19 OCTOBER 1948.

VIGIER