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{
    "localId": "225248902",
    "label": "Central Intelligence Agency, Office of Reports and Estimates Report, Number 38-48, Possible Developments from the Palestine Truce",
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    "contentType": "document",
    "title": "Central Intelligence Agency, Office of Reports and Estimates Report, Number 38-48, Possible Developments from the Palestine Truce",
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        "President's Secretary's Files (Truman Administration)",
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    "productionDates": [
        {
            "day": 27,
            "logicalDate": "1948-07-27",
            "month": 7,
            "year": 1948
        }
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{
    "seq": 9,
    "pageIndex": 0,
    "type": "photo",
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    "ocrText": "The\nENCLOSURE B\nTHE MILITARY SITUATION IN PALESTINE AT THE BEGINNING\nOF THE SECOND TRUCE-18 JULY 1948\nThe military situation on 18 July, the beginning of the second truce in Palestine,\nshows that the Jews have made substantial gains during the nine-day period of fight-\ning between 9 July and 18 July. (See map.) During that period the Jews captured\nLydda, Ramle, and Ras el Zin, thereby removing the danger of an Arab thrust on\nTel-Aviv. In the north they took the strategic Arab-Christian town of Nazareth and\nconsolidated their positions along the Lebanese border into which units had been\nmoved during the truce. In the south the Jews thrust southeast into the Egyptian-\noccupied area near Isdud and widened and strengthened the strip of Jewish-controlled\nterritory along the roads between Jerusalem and Tel-Aviv. The only successful Arab\naction during that period, the Iraqi advance north from Jenin toward Afule, was\nhalted by the truce before any significant gain was made.\nDuring the period of the truce the Jews gained considerably from a military point\nof view. They strengthened and improved their existing fortifications and built new\nones in the areas recently taken over from the Arabs. They improved the by-pass\nroad to Jerusalem, which skirts Arab-held Latrun and Bab el Wad on the main road\nfrom Jerusalem to Tel-Aviv. They recruited and trained troops both abroad and in\nPalestine, and reinforcements were flown in from abroad. They increased their supply\nof tanks, aeroplanes, and artillery. The Jews brought heavy artillery into the Jerusa-\nlem area and are reported to have acquired at least 13 German ME-109 fighter planes-\nwhich can be converted into light bombers-and 3 B-17's. (They are now reported\nto\npossess a total of 60 ME-109's, of which 24 are operational.) The food situation in\nJerusalem was greatly improved during the truce.\nThe Arabs made certain gains during the truce, but these were insignificant com-\npared to the Jewish gains. The Arabs received some Italian and Belgian arms and\nbrought more arms and ammunition to the front.\nThe truce resulted in so great an improvement in the Jewish capabilities that the\nJews may now be strong enough to launch a full-scale offensive and drive the Arab\nforces out of Palestine. Events during the truce, and the enormous increase in Jewish\nstrength resulting from them, considerably change the previously held estimate of the\nprobable course of the war in Palestine. The Arabs' logistical position generally is very\nbad and their ammunition supply is exceedingly low. It is estimated that they could\nnot continue to fight, even on the previous moderate scale, for more than two to\nthree months.\n5"
}