Urging Jewish and Arab fighting forces in Palestine to treat captured enemies as “prisoners of war,” the International Red Cross announced today that it is setting up a permanent mission in eight Palestine cities.
Jacques Reynier, Red Cross official in charge of the Palestine operation, told newsmen that the relief organization bad asked the Palestine Government, the Jews and the Arabs to adhere to the Geneva Contention on rules of warfare. He said the Red Cross had also advanced the following requests:
1. Neutral zones’1 be established in fighting areas so that the sick and wounded, and women and children, might find refuge and receive medical aid and food until the fighting subsides.
2. Hospitals and other medical centers be “immunized” and not used as bases for attacks so that they do not become targets for retaliation.
3. Funds for the Red Cross program be contributed by the Government, the Jews and the Arabs,Funds contributed by Jews would be used only for Jews, and the same principle would be applied for the Arabs.
The Red Cross representative revealed that the organization had a fund of $240,000 for administrative expenses, but would use some of the money for relief purposes if there is a surplus.
He disclosed that the Red Cross had appealed to all parties in the country to adhere to the organization’s humanitarian principles. These, he said, include: 1. Protection for the sick and wounded and their transportation to safety; and, 2. Respect for the remains of the dead and for funerals.
The message also asked guarantees of safety for non-combatants, especially women and children. Both the Jews and the Arabs, Reynier asserted, have promised to adhere to the Red Cross requests and have also pledged funds for the organization’s program.
The Palestine Government today amended a communique of yesterday, which said three bombs were dropped on Jaffa from a plane. The correction said the missiles were three-inch mortar, shells. Jewish quarters charged that the rumor had been spread by Arab sources with the assistance of the Palestine Government in order to provide a pretext for Syria to send her planes to bombard Jewish cities and settlements.
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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.
