After objections from the Egyptian delegation, Cttee revises its draft communique on family reunifications – UNCCP’s General Cttee 51st mtg (Geneva) – Summary record

UNITED NATIONS CONCILIATION COMMISSION FOR PALESTINE

GENERAL COMMITTEE

SUMMARY RECORD OF THE FIFTY-FIRST MEETING

Held at the Palais des Nations, Geneva, on

Monday, 13 February 1950, at 3.30 p.m.

CONSIDERATION OF EGYPT’S OBJECTIONS TO THE COMMITTEE’S DRAFT COMMUNIQUE ON THE REUNION OF SEPARATED FAMILIES

The CHAIRMAN observed that the delegation of Egypt had criticized the terms of the communication addressed to it in pursuance of the decisions taken by the General Committee at its previous meeting.

In view of the objections raised by Mr. Mostapha, the General Committee, after some discussion, decided to submit for the Commissions approval, an amended communique for transmission to the Arab and Israeli delegations and to the Press.

The draft communique as amended reads:

“In accordance with the agreement in principle reached in Lausanne last summer under the auspices of the Conciliation Commission the competent Egyptian and Israeli authorities have established through the Mixed Armistice Commission a practical arrangement under which certain refugees from territory under Egyptian authority will be enabled to rejoin their families in Israel. The first group of refugees, consisting of 115 persons from the Gaza area, will cross into Israel under the supervision of the Mixed Armistice Commission on 14 February. It will be remembered that on 2 February the General Committee of the Conciliation Commission published the figures for refugees returning in the past few weeks to Israel from Lebanon and Jordan under the agreement for the reunion of separated families. Further progress in the reuniting of families was indicated in the last few days by the return of an additional small group from the Lebanon on 31 January and arrangements for the return of a group of 100 from Jordan on 9 February.”

The meeting rose at 4 p.m.