The Cabinet heard a report today on the three-man French delegation sent here to investigate the Libyan airliner disaster. The team departed this morning after completing their mission. They said they had received the fullest assistance and cooperation from Israeli authorities and would submit their report to the French government which had assigned the investigation.
The Cabinet report on the French mission was presented by Attorney General Meir Shamgar who had been assigned by Acting Premier Yigal Yadin to coordinate the activities of all government ministries with respect to the inquiry. It was understood that the French civil aviation authorities will collate the investigating team’s findings with information received from Egyptian authorities before publishing their conclusions.
The Cabinet, meanwhile, set up a ministerial committee to determine the amount of ex-gratia (free will) payments by Israel to the families of the victims and the survivors. The committee will also determine a method for affecting the payments. It consists of Justice Minister Yaacov Shimshon Shapiro who is serving as chairman, Finance Minister Pinhas Sapir, Health Minister Victor Shemtov, Transport Minister Shimon Peres, Religious. Affairs Minister Zerach Warhaftig and Minister-Without-Portfolio Israel Galili.
It was also announced that one of the survivors, a French steward, will be flown to France tomorrow at the request of his family for further medical treatment. Another survivor regained consciousness today for the first time since the disaster. He was identified this morning as Abou Baker Mouhamed, 33, a Libyan citizen.
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