A new move by Egypt toward at least partial clearance of the Suez Canal in order to free 15 merchant ships stranded in the waterway since June, 1967 appeared to be underway today. But Israel, which must concur in any such move under the terms of the cease-fire agreements, officially knows nothing about it. A Foreign Ministry spokesman said today that contrary to press reports, Egypt has not asked United Nations chief cease-fire observer, Lt. Gen. Odd Bull, to make any new arrangements with Israel concerning the canal.
The Egyptian Government announced Friday that it had given permission to the owners of the trapped ships to begin a survey of the canal bottom preparatory to removal of the vessels via the canal’s southern exit. It was the first move toward freeing the ships since Israeli forces fired on an Egyptian survey launch in the northern reaches of the canal 13 months ago. Israel had agreed then to free the ships but only via the southern exit. (The London Telegraph said today that Israel’s attitude has apparently not changed, for so long as the northern section of the canal remains blocked, Israel holds an important card in any diplomatic bargaining for a general settlement of the Mideast conflict.)
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