Evening star., 1948-04-04
Jewish Fighters Seize
Arab Village 10 Break
Jerusalem Blockade
by the Assceic,ed Pres,

,ea. BY the Asseeinssd Press
a.. JERUSALEM, April 3.-Jewish
warriors seized an Arab village
today in a drive to blast open a
supply line for Jerusalem's
100000 hungry Jews.
" Striking before dawn, fighters OF
Hagana, the Jewish militia, routed
handful of Arabs defending Kas-
tel, hilltop village five miles west
of Jerusalem. Bitter fighting de-
& yeloped when the Arabs rushed up
reinforcements and sought to re-
take the position. One Jew was
killed and nine were wounded. The
extent of Arab casualties was not
known.
At sunset the British army moved
in to halt the hostilities and said
the Jews still we're In Katsel. Arab
and British sources reported the
Jews had launched operations
against the nearby villages Of Ain
Karen and Suba.
Food Conveys Halted Week.
Kastel has a dominating position
on the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv road.
which now Is blocked by the Arabs
The village is located on a site
where fortresses have stood since
Roman DAYS.
A large Jewish convoy seeking to
reach Jerusalem has been try
ing to fight Its way through the
series of Arab roadblocks west Of
Kasel since Wednesday. The last
Jewish food convoy reached Jeru-
salem from coastal Tel Aviv a week
ago Friday.
> The Arab blockade of the highway
has been particularly strong at Bah
Ell Wad in the Judean foothills. The
Jews are believed to be trying to
drive wedges along both sides Of
the road to that point. Historically,
Bah Ell Wad was the closest point
to Jerusalem reached by Richard
the Lion Hearted in the Third Cru
sade.
Fighting today brought to 1902
the unofficial death toll since the
United Nations voted for partition
November 29. Hundreds Of Arab
children, both Christians and Mos
lens, are being sent as war refugees
from Palestine to Syria and Leb-
anon.
Children Being Evacuated.
Victor Khayat, chairman Of an
= evacuating committee, told a re-
porter in Haifa that his and similar
organizations would help 5000 to
5000 children up to IL years Of age
reach safety. He said:
1--WE are not interested In the
children of well-to-do families. We
are sending out children whose par
ents are unable to do so themselves" :"
He added that children who have
lost one or both parents in the
Palestine fighting are receiving
priority. Bus conveys take the chill
dren across the frontiers.
Gen. Sir Alan Cunningham,
Palestine high commissioner. called
on Jews and Arabs tonight to cease
fire under the truce asked by the
United Nations Security Council.
Jews Welcome Truce.
He said British authorities are
ready now to discuss with Jewish
and Arab civil and military leaders
"the details required for conclu-
sion and enforcement of such an
agreement" IA,
The Jewish Agency welcomed the
plea for truce. An Agency spokes-
man said, however: "A prerequisite
to the discussion of truce terms
would be consideration of the ques-
ton of Arab invaders of Palestine
who now are officially admitted to
be in possession of certain northern
parts of Palestine.
DR.. Hussein r, Khalidi, secretary
general of the Arab Higher Execu-
tive, said:
The cause behind the present
conflict has been known since Zio-
nism set foot in this country. No
useful purpose would be served by
the conclusion of a truce unless the
causes of the struggle were removed
by the revocation of partition and
zionist remuneration of the ambition
of a politically controlled state in
this Arab ocean ="
Irgun to Come Into Open.
Irgun Zvai Leumi, one-time ter
ror of Britain's Palestine govern
ment, is planning to change from an
underground resistance band to reg
ular army status.
But 1t intends to revert promptly
to the underground If the rest of
Palestine Jewry gives up the fight
for statehood,
An 1rgun spokesman said Mena-
chem Begin, who has commanded
1rgun's 1000 men for six years as
an underground force, WILL go into
uniform and operate from public
headquarters in Tel Aviv shortly.
I'VE hope to emerge into the open
as part of the Jewish army, oper-
ating on basis of military Coop
Grafton with Hagana, the Jewish
militia" the spokesman said.