The Israel Cabinet today discussed the tense situation on the Syrian and Egyptian borders, following reports by Acting Defense Minister Pinhas Lavon and Foreign Minister Moshe Sharett.
Efforts by armed Egyptians to penetrate into the Israel settlement of Givath Rachel, in the demilitarized zone on the Israel-Egyptian frontier, were repulsed yesterday. A formal complaint was lodged by Israel today with the U.N. Mixed Armistice Commission.
The Israel Government also complained against the crossing into Israel of Egyptian planes flying over two Israel settlements and taking photographs of the settlements. This, it was pointed out, is a flagrant violation of the armistice agreement.
An Israeli spokesman today emphasized that these incidents are considered by the Israel Government to be of a “serious character” in view of Egypt’s increased anti-Israel propaganda. He also stated that Egyptian military forces had taken up positions inside the demilitarized zone on the Egyptian side of the El Auja border, which is a violation of the Israel-Egyptian armistice pact.
(A report from Cairo today said that “Israel has begun withdrawing its troops” from the frontier post of Auja el Hafir in the Israel-Egyptian demilitarized zone. The report was taken to mean that Egypt considers its charges against Israel no longer valid.)
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