UN Palestine Commission – Daily News Summary

PALESTINE

DAILY NEWS SUMMARY

28 January 1948

(Sources: New York Times and New York Herald Tribune)

Jerusalem, Jan. 27 – Brewer (N.Y. Times) reports scattered encounters between Jews and Arabs, and a two-hour skirmish between British troops and Arabs on the Haifa-Tel Aviv highway, after a tacit truce in that area had been broken by both Jews and Arabs. One British soldier and one Jew were killed. Arab casualties were not known.

In a fight near Gaza, four Arabs were killed and one British soldier wounded,

In Jerusalem an Arab National Committee was formed to organize local nationalist work under the direction of the Arab Higher Committee.

Jerusalem, Jan, 27 – Turner (N.Y. Herald Tribune) reports that the Jewish Agency for Palestine today ordered 15,000 men and women between the, age groups 19 – 22 inclusive to be drafted into full-time military service between now and February 15. The draft, the first of its kind, will double the number of Jews who have left school or civilian jobs to prepare for the threatened war with the Arabs. Conscription will be handled by the Jewish Central Manpower Board from six offices in Palestine.

Prior to December 1, some 3,500 persons were serving full-time in Haganah; since then another 11,500 have joined the organization. Another 2,500 persons have left normal occupations to train for administrative jobs in the new Jewish state

Irgun Zvai Leumi and Haganah were reported still to be negotiating an agreement to bring the Irgun into the defense force as a unit under Haganah direction.

UNITED NATIONS PALESTINE COMMMION

MUNICIPAL COUNCILS