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Communiqué No. 6

To the commanders of the fighters

1. All fighters should be warned against attacking religious sites in the country, whatever their religions and beliefs. They must not be harmed or entered by force, and fighting in them must be avoided. The institutions belonging to them, including monasteries, schools, and other institutions, must likewise be protected.

2. The fighters should be warned against killing children, women, old men, prisoners, or animals, and against everything inconsistent with the traditions of Arab chivalry.

3. Avoid mistreating foreign communities of every nationality, as well as political bodies and institutions, their official centers, private residences, schools, all their institutions, and their property.

24 December 1947

Head of the Arab Higher Committee

Mohamed Amin al-Husayni

*

Then we received a third telegram the following day, 18 May 1948, which stated: “Our soldiers have become exhausted after the battles because of their small number compared with the Jews and their lack of ammunition. They have not rested for three days, while the Jews bring in fresh waves every few hours. A huge battle took place last night when the Jewish forces tried to break through Bab al-Nabi Daud to make contact with the Jews of the Old City. They failed and were driven back. An attempt was made to persuade the commanders of the Arab (Jordanian) army to send their artillery to Jerusalem, and one of its companies took up positions around the Jewish Quarter in the Old City with members of the Holy War Army.”

On the morning of 26 May 1948, we received a telegram from Jerusalem stating: “We learned from reliable sources in Jerusalem that the Jews are suffering from shortages of water, food, and fighters and are requesting reinforcements of water, food, and soldiers. They threatened to surrender if their request was not met. Most of the Jewish residents have moved to Qalunya village and the Beit Hakerem settlement. Arab artillery shelled their neighborhoods today, causing large fires, and each day the area they occupy in the Old City grows smaller.