Agreement on a system for determining the speed of the withdrawal of Israel forces from the Sinai Peninsula and their replacement by United Nations units has been reached by Maj. Gen. E.L.M. Burns, United Nations Emergency Force commander, and Maj. Gen. Moshe Dayan, Israel chief of staff, informed circles said today. The two men met yesterday at Lydda Airport to review the situation.
While the understanding reached provides only the general framework and not the actual timetable moves, it is not likely that the actual timing phases of the withdrawal will necessitate further meetings of the two commanders. This timing, it is assumed, will be agreed upon in lower-level contacts. To a certain extent, the actual pace of the Israel withdrawal will be linked to the capability of the United Nations units to replace the Israel forces.
United Nations Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold is apparently not intervening at all in this question and in the practical aspects of the Israel evacuation of the Sinai Peninsula, leaving the entire matter in the hands of Gen. Burns.
Israel circles are greatly concerned, however, that despite the progress of evacuation of Sinai by Israel, no guarantees have yet been received from the United Nations that the Sinai Peninsula may not again become a base for Egyptian aggression.
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