Israeli and Transjordan Delegates at Rhodes Get Final Draft of Armistice Agreement

The final draft of the Israeli-Transjordan armistice pact was submitted today by acting United Nations Palestine mediator Ralph J. ?unche to both the Israeli and Transjordan negotiators .at a joint meeting which lasted for nearly three hours.

Reuven Shiloah and Col, Moshe Dayan of the Israeli legation, and Sidki ?andi, of the Transjordan deputation, returned this afternoon to their respective capitals to consult with their governments on a few outstanding points. Today’s session also considered a memorandum, made available earlier by Bunche to the Jews and Arabs, dealing with the “various divergencies” still at issue and proposing possible solution.

Both sides apparently are favorably inclined toward the mediator’s proposals and it is expected that the formal signing of the armistice agreement is only a matter of a few days. According to one source, the chief unsettled question is still whether or not the Arab triangle in central Palestine is to be regarded as a separate front in the terms of the agreement. It was also understood here that the success of today’s meeting was largely attributable to Shilcah’s and Dayan’s private negotiations with the Transjordan, delegates.

Earlier, it was reported that the draft armistice pact provides that Aqaba as well as the entire western Negev along the international border remain Israeli territory and that Jewish forces in the sector will be equalized to the joint strength of the British and Transjordan forces. Israeli lines in the Hebron area, it was also reported, include Ein Gheddi and the potash plant in the southern Bead Sea region.

(A dispatch from Tel Aviv reported tonight that the armistice agreement with Transjordan may be signed immediately following the return of Shiloah and Dayan to Rhodes. At the same time, a government spokesman categorically denied that any meeting had been or will be held between Israeli leaders and King Abdullah of Transjordan)