Lebanon’s Rejection of Peace Treaty with Israel Not ‘last Word’ Says Galili

Lebanon’s rejection of an Israeli offer to negotiate a permanent peace treaty based on the present borders between the two countries does not represent the “last word” from Beirut, according to Cabinet Minister Israel Galili. Galili, a Minister-Without-Portfolio of the Labor Alignment, stated his views during an armed forces radio interview Friday night, several hours after the official announcement that Israeli commandos raided a guerrilla coastal base 30 miles inside Lebanon on Thursday. The Jewish Telegraphic Agency learned from informed sources last week that the peace offer to Lebanon was among the proposals Premier Golda Meir handed United Nations mediator Gunnar V. Jarring when he visited Jerusalem a week ago. The commando raid was mounted to destroy a base on the Lebanese coast about ten miles south of Sidon from which guerrillas were allegedly sending men to infiltrate Israel by sea, the announcement said. At least 10 guerrillas were killed and many others were wounded, a military spokesman reported. Six Israeli soldiers were slightly wounded in the action.

Israeli intelligence learned about the sea base as the result of the capture of five guerrillas who landed in northern Israel from a rubber boat on Jan, 2. Their alleged mission was to kidnap an Israeli citizen. The guerrillas were spotted by a family living near the coast which summoned security forces. Three of the intruders were captured after a brief gun battle and two others were picked up later as they attempted to make their way inland. A sixth guerrilla escaped. (Lebanon complained of the Israeli raid in a letter to Security Council President Sir Colin Crowe Friday. The letter claimed that an Israeli agent provocateur arranged to put five Palestinian residents of Lebanon ashore in Israel so that they could be captured and serve as a pretext for the Israeli commando raid on the Lebanese coast, The letter protested the raid but did not ask for a Security Council meeting.)