Israel authorities today released the captain, two crew members and two passengers of the Syrian plane forced down over Israel yesterday after violating Israel air space. This brings to six the number released, since an American passenger was freed yesterday as soon as he identified himself.
United Nations observers began an investigation of the circumstances under which the four remaining Arabs were being detained. The Greek captain of the airplane, who was one of the persons freed, preferred to wait in Tel Aviv until all the passengers had been released.
Meanwhile, an Egyptian member of the crew and an Egyptian passenger were turned over to the Egyptian authorities in the Gaza area. A Syrian hostess on the plane and a Syrian passenger were returned to Syrian jurisdiction on the border near the Bnot Yaacov Bridge. The American passenger who was released yesterday has already left the country on another plane.
(Ahmed Shukairi, Syrian delegate to the United Nations, denounced today the Israel seizure of a Syrian civilian airplane as “a shocking act of aggression.” He said Syria will follow through its complaint to the Mixed Armistice Commission with whatever other action is necessary, including possibly recourse to the Security Council. Mr. Shukairi called a special press conference here to deliver his attack on Israel.)
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