The Israeli Government reported to the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization today that Israeli Jet fighters intercepted an unidentified plane between the Gaza Strip and Ashkelon, and fired several warning shots at the craft without attempting to hit it.
The action occurred Friday night “in extremely bad weather,” the report stated. The Israeli interceptors did not fire until after attempting to have the plane identify itself, but receiving no reply. Later, it was revealed by the Army spokesman here, it was found that the plane was a Canadian ship, in use as a transport by the United Nations Emergency Force. The Canadian plane, it was said, was flying from its staging area in Italy to a UNEF base in the Sinai, and “was apparently unable to find its destination, due to bad weather.”
(In Ottawa, Paul Martin, Canadian Minister of External Affairs, also reported the incident, saying “the weather was bad and visibility was bad.” Mr. Martin declared his Government would make no further statement on the incident pending “further investigation by the United Nations and ourselves.”)
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