The Irgun entened the Palestine “war” today with raids on the Arab village of Tireh, near Haifa, the town of Remieh and several villages in the area of Hebron. Official reports stated that 12 Arabs had been killed in the raids, but the underground group asserted that scores of Arabs had been killed and scores more wounded.
At Ramleh, a garage which was the headquarters of an Arab band ambushing traffic on the main Tel Aviv-Jerusalem road was attacked and some 20-odd vehicles were burnt. A second Irgun task force struck at Tireh where a gang of Arabs were ?ing in preparations for an attack on Jewish quarters in Haifa. The Jews blasted ?ouse with many Arabs inside and set fire to several adjoining buildings.
Other underground forces struck at Yazur where yesterday a Jew was killed in an attack on a convoy. The Irgun claimed that six Arabs died in the engagement. ?ses were also blasted at Shafram and on the outskirts of Jerusalem.
The Irgun later issued a statement asserting that its attacks had been car?d out after the organization had received information that Arab gangs were massing ? further attacks on Jews. Thereupon, “we jumped directly into the lairs of the ?men. We will continue the attacks until the gunmen are silenced.”
In Jerusalem, the Haganah dispersed an Arab mob which was massing in the Old?y in the area where the first major riots broke out last week. Just before the ? started across the boundary area between the Jewish and Arab quarters, Haganah ?ds threw three grenades at the mob, which broke and fled. One Arab was slightly ?t by boms fragments. However, several Arab shops and a garage were damaged.
Two companies of British infantry this morning took up positions in front of ? six gates gates leading from the Old City to the newer section of Jerusalem, where the ?gest part of the Jewish population lives.
Funeral services were conducted by Chief Rabbi Isaac Herzog for ton Jews killes yesterday in an Arab ambush of a convoy near Bethlehem. Later, the bodies were escorted by a strong armed detachment to Kfar Etzicn where the men lived and which was their destination yesterday. At least four of the victims were settlement police and the others were Haganah men.
FOUR JEWS BURNED ALIVE WHEN ARABS DESTROY AIRLINES BUS; SIX MISSING
Four Jews were burned alive today by Arabs who captured a British airline stasion wagon at Lydda and later set it ablaze. The four men were employees of the company. Six other persons in the vehicle at the time, also employees, are still listed as missing, although they are believed to be safe.
Police arrested a number of Jews in Tel Aviv, Haifa and Jerusalem during ?hes for weapons. In Tel Aviv Arabs fired three Jewish homes after their occu? had been arrested for possessing arms. In most cases each man carried just one ? obviously for protection. Responsible Jewish leaders have expressed resent? at the continued arrests of Haganah members and others obviously guarding Jewish homes and lives.
Reports from Tel Aviv and Jaffa stated that the mayors of the two cities were ?erating in the drafting of a mutual appeal to the citizens of both cities to halt ?shooting and stabbing which cost the lives of a British soldier and one Arab when ?rab mob clashed with troops tonight. Another report from Jaffa said that Dr. Yussef ?el, Mayor of Jaffa, had flown to Cairo to consult with the ex-Mufti of Jerusalem ?erms of a truce in the border regions of the two cities.
AGENCY ASKS U.N. TO SEND IMPLEMENTATION BODY TO PALESTINE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE
A Jewish Agency spokesman revealed that the Agency has asked the U.N. to send ? Implementation Commission to Palestine as soon as possible so that the world ?ld be kept informed of the current situation. He also charged that both the Britied and the ex-Mufti’s henchmen were deliberatoly playing down Arab casualties in an ?mpt to convince world opinion that the Jews could not take care of themselves in a partitioned Palestine.
An official press release disclosed that a group of Arab convicts attempted ?break out of the Athlit jail. Six were wounded, and it is believed that three ?ers escaped.
Another official communique stated that 21 Jews and 25 Arabs died during the ? hour period ending at 8 a.m. today. In addition 74 persons were wounded in the ?e period, which was the bloodiest day since the riots broke out on November 30.
In a broadcast tonight, the Haganah radio reported that two of the Arabs ?led yesterday in the day-long battle in the Old City were leaders of the rioters? have been terrorizing Jews in the area. The broadcaster said the dead men were ?ed Airkat, connected with the Arab youth military organization, and Zuwhi Abu ?biyeh, a leader in the 1936 riots, one-time bodyguard of the Mufti and a ring?der of the group responsible for the recent bombing of the Polish, Swedish and ?S. consulates.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
