Establishment of Joint Cttee on Egyptian proposals re Gaza refugees – UNCCP General Cttee – Report

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UNITED NATIONS CONCILIATION COMMISSION FOR PALESTINE

GENERAL COMMITTEE

Report to the Conciliation Commission on

the question of the establishment of a

Joint Committee on the Egyptian proposals

concerning the Gaza refugees and on other

related questions

Pursuant to the Commission’s request of 16 February 1950, the General Committee, at its meeting of 17 February 1950, adopted the following recommendations to be submitted to the Conciliation Commission for its approval:

1. That a Joint Committee on problems relating to the Gaza area be composed of one Israeli representative, one Egyptian representative and a representative of the Commission. (The composition of the Committee may be re-examined in the event of its terms of reference being extended.)

2. That the chairmanship of the Joint Committee be assumed by the representative of the Commission who would be appointed by it.

3. That the terms of reference of the Joint Committee be the following:

(a) The Joint Committee on problems relating to the Gaza area shall consider the three following proposals submitted to the Conciliation Commission by the Egyptian delegation on 24 October 1949:

(i) That inhabitants of areas falling within the no man’s land in the north of the Gaza region be allowed to return as soon as possible to their lands to cultivate them.

(ii) That refugees at present in the Gaza area under Egyptian control and possessing land in the hinterland of this zone be allowed to undertake as soon as possible the cultivation of these lands.

(iii) That refugees at present in the Gaza zone originating from the Beersheba area be allowed, provisionally and pending a final settlement, to establish themselves in that area:

(b) Either the chairman or any member of the Joint Committee will be entitled to request that any related question whose examination, in his opinion, becomes necessary in the course of the work be placed on the agenda of the Joint Committee.

(c) The Chairman of the Joint Committee shall report regularly to the Conciliation Commission through the General Committee on the progress of the Joint Committees Work.

(d) The Joint Committee may seek, through the Conciliation Commission, the views of the interested authorities and organizations.

4. That the delegations concerned be informed by the Commission at the earliest opportunity of its intention to establish the above Joint Committee.