UN Palestine Commission – Daily News Summary

UNITED NATIONS PALESTINE COMMISSION

DAILY NEWS SUMMARY

25 February 1948

Jerusalem. Feb.24 – Three-sided sniping fights occurred throughout the day in Jerusalem. Total casualties for all Palestine reported for the day were 4 Arabs and 4 Jews killed, 12 Arabs and 7 Jews wounded, and 2 Britons wounded. The death toll from the Ben Yehuda Street explosion reached 57. (NEW YORK TIMES, NEW YORK HERALD TRIBUNE).

London, Feb. 24 – Angry MEMBERS of Parliament demanded today that the British Government take Measures to halt the killing of Britons in Palestine and to punish those who had charged British involvement in the Ban Yehuda Street explosion. Stating that the Zionists had failed to produce evidence supporting their allegation, Colonial Under Secretary Rose Williams Said: “Inquiries which have been Made locally are not yet complete” but it is clear there is no ground for the suggestion that members of the British security forces were responsible for the outrage”; (NY. TIMES, NY HERALD TRIBUNE)

Jerusalem, Feb. 24 – A Jewish Agency spokesman said today that the Agency will accept the British challenge to produce evidence involving Britons in responsibility for the explosion. The Agency reported that a Commission of inquiry of three Jewish lawyers had been appointed to study evidence. (NY TIMES)

London, Feb. 24 — In the view of informed but unofficial British and Arab circles in London, the latest United States Palestine proposals are as naive as the earlier American assumption that partition could be imposed without military force. The proposal for British, Jewish, and Arab consultations was described as “nonsense” by a British observer. Edward Atiyeh, Director of the London Arab Office, declared that there is no prospect that any Arab will go to New York to discuss implementing partition. (NY TIMES)

Jerusalem, Feb.24 – The Palestine Arab News Committee claimed complete control over the Nablus-Tulkarm-Jewish triangle and said that the area contained 30,000 men ready to be thrown into the conflict on 48 hours notice. (NY TIMES)