Arabs in Jerusalem’s Katamon quarter battle to?t asked the Jewish forces which have been attacking them for the last 24 hours for immediate truce. This action followed an official British warning to the Jewish ?cy that unless the Jewish assault was halted, “the authorities would use all mili? force, including the Royal Air Force,” to attack Jewish Jerusalem.
In an earlier truce appeal this afternoon, the Arabs asked the Jewish commander for a temporary cease-fire in order to enable Red Cross officials to remove the ? dead and wounded from the scene of the fighting. After the Jewish commander ?ed to the Arabs’ request, they launched a sneak attack on the Jews but were reused by pulverizing fire.
The long-awaited battle for control of Jerusalem apparently opened early today the two strong Jewish forces attacked Iraqi, Lebanese and Trans Jordanian troops en?ched in the Katamon quarter in the southern pert-of the city. At last reports, ? Jews, who took the initiative in opening the campaign, continued to hold it as the ?hting mounted throughout the day.
Following a two-hour barrage, the Jews seized the strategic Arab stronghold ? the site of the former St. Simon Greek Orthodox monastery, whose inhabitants were ?cuated some time ago. After wresting the monastery from the Arabs, the Jews staged second assault, this time on the strategic Shahinn Hill, dominating the entire Katamon area. Jewish troops proceeded to advance on the Arabs in a mopping-up operation observers were agreed that they had broken the backbone of Arab resistance.
After several hours of fierce fire, the Arabs, many of them panic-stricken in ? face of the withering Jewish attack, beat a swift retreat in the direction of Beth ?fafa and the German colony in the security zone.
BRITISH OPEN FIRE ON YEMIN MOSHE; ARAB CASUALTIES IN KATAMON HIGH
British units joined the battle by shelling the adjoining Jewish Yemin Moshe qua?r partly demolishing Jewish defense positions and causing several fires, in an af?rt to expose this sector to Arab fire while the Katamon battle was in progress, ?rly casualty reports said 15 Jews and 30 Arabs were killed while 34 Arabs and 20 ?ws were wounded. A Jewish Telegraphic Agency correspondent, posted only 300 yards from the Katamon firing line, could see Red Cross and Red Crescent representatives working feverishly to load their ambulances with “innumerable” numbers of Arab bodies.
Meanwhile, the Jaffa truce talks continued today after a Haganah force had ?ept into the strongly-fortified Arab village of Salama during the night, completing he isolation of the Arab seaport city, excepting for the strategic highway to Ramleh. The road which passes through Jewish territory is being held open by British units.
Most observers believe the trace negotiations will end in virtual surrender of the Arab city, following an agreement of mutual non-aggression.
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.
