From a Zionist Correspondent
JERUSALEM, Oct. 17
Date of Publication: October 18, 1948
Severe fighting flared up during the weekend on Mount Zion in Jerusalem, where positions and strongholds changed hands several times within short periods. Both Israeli and Arab Legion forces used large-calibre mortar shells to give covering fire for their sappers, and a number of buildings were blown up. During the Arab Legion shelling of Jewish positions on Mount Zion the Benedictine Church of the Dormition was severely damaged by high explosive and incendiary bombs. The French Consul-General, M. René Neuville, has informed the French Government of brutal, indiscriminate shelling by Arab Legion forces of the Church of the Dormition.
The Israeli Army claims to have recaptured all the positions taken by the Arabs in no-man’s-land.
The American acting Consul-General, Mr. William Burdett, the American Consulate’s military attaché, Major N. Andronovitz, and the United Nations chief truce observer, Lieutenant-Colonel George Millet, have been fired on while driving in a clearly marked white United Nations sedan to a truce commission meeting. All escaped injury, though the car was hit three times. The truce commission has addressed a strong protest to the Arab Legion commander in the Old City of Jerusalem against attacks on the French and American Consulates, as well as truce observers’ vehicles.
The situation in the Jerusalem district is deteriorating rapidly, and a resumption of the war shortly seems to be unavoidable. In practice the United Nations truce observers and the truce commission are unable to enforce truce and cease-fire orders, and will be unable to do so unless the Security Council directs positive and effective measures to be taken immediately.
