The Israel-Jordan Mixed Armistice Commission, which Israel has boycotted since March, yesterday adopted a resolution strongly condemning Israel for entering Jordan territory near the village of Khirbet Illan last Sunday when two Israeli border policemen were killed by Jordanians forces. The UN unit also condemned Israel for endangering the lives of two UN observers on the scene by firing mortar shells which burst near the observers.
The Israeli version of the incident stated that the two policemen had been wounded inside Israel by Jordanian infiltrees. The Israelis further charged that the wounded men had been dragged across the border and then murdered. The UN report of the incident said that the two Israelis had been killed inside Jordan and their bodies had not been mutilated. Jewish physicians who examined the bodies after they were returned to Israel said the bodies had been mutilated and stabbed after death. The MAC also condemned Jordan for replying to Israeli fire.
An Israeli spokesman today rejected the UN observers’ charge that the Israelis had fired on them and endangered their lives. He said the Israeli gunners held their fire as soon as they spotted the observers. But, he added, the Jordanians continued to shell the Israeli unit so it had to reply to protect itself.
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.
