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Quiet Reigns in Jerusalem Following Evacuation of Red Cross Zone by Jews and Arabs

September 7, 1948
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Quiet reigned in Jerusalem this week-end following the evacuation of the Red Cross zone in the southern part of the city under the supervision of the U.N. truce commission staff, headed by American Brig. Gen. William E. Riley. However, there was some firing by the Arabs against Jewish positions in various parts of the city during the past few days, and the Israeli Army today reported that some shelling occurred in the southern part of the city.

The evacuation of the Red Cross enclave was carried out with speed and no fiction after an agreement had been reached between the Jews and the Arabs whose military leaders met all day Friday under the auspices of the U.N. Establishment of the enclave and a U.N. security belt or No Mants Land around the area makes it the Second neutral zone in the city–the first is Mt. Scopus on which is located the Hadassah Hospital and the Hebrew University. Yesterday and today sandbagged positions raised by both the Jews and Arabs in the Red Cross zone were being demolished in line with the decision.

The neutral zone is so far from the main centers of the city that many observers believe that few will either desire or be able to seek safety there in the event that further fighting develops. The fact that large concentrations of Arab troops are being built up on the outskirts of the city are seen as direct evidence that the Arabs are planning an all out assault to capture Jerusalem in the near future.

The broadened Jewish Agency executive which was elected by the Zionist Actions Committee in Tel Aviv last week will meet here tomorrow. At that time it will be decided how the various positions on the executive will be divided.

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