Syria will agree to extend the mandate of the United Nations Disengagement Observers force (UNDOF)–which expires on May 30–for only two months, according to sources here. By this limited extension the mandate of the two UN forces in the Mideast–UNDOF and UNEF–will expire simultaneously in July. Egypt has already announced that she will agree to the extension of UNEF, which expires April 18, for only three months. Observers here believe that the Egyptian and Syrian move regarding the UN forces was coordinated in order to remove the forces, if they so desire, at the same time, In that case, if hostilities resume in the Mideast, Egypt and Syria can act together against Israel without a buffer of UN forces separating any of them from Israel, sources observed.
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.
