UN Palestine Commission – Date of mandate termination – Letter from United Kingdom

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12 May 1948

UNITED NATIONS PALESTINE COMMISSION

Communication Received from United Kingdom

Delegation Concerning Date of Termination

of the Mandate

The following communication, concerning the date of the termination of the Mandate, has been received from Mr. Fletcher-Cooke of the United Kingdom Delegation.

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UNITED KINGDOM DELEGATION TO THE UNITED NATIONS

11 May 1948

My dear Bunche,

Would you be good enough to information the Commission that the following communique will be released in Jerusalem at 1.50 p.m. (Palestine time) on the 12th May:-

“Legally the Mandate terminates midnight on the night of the 14th/15th May. In consequence, His Excellency the High Commissioner will leave Jerusalem for Haifa on 14th May and will sail from Haifa in H.M.S. “Lurytalts” at midnight. The withdrawal of troops from Jerusalem and parts of Palestine will also commence on 14th May.”

2. I am sending a copy of this letter to Mr. Finn Moe, Rapporteur to then Sub-Committee of the First Committee of the General Assembly

Yours sincerely,

/Sd/ J. Fletcher-Cooke

Dr. Ralph J. Bunche,

Principal Secretary to the United Nations

Commission on Palestine,

United Nations,

Lake Success.