For the third time in five days, Israel today sent to the Security Council a complaint against repetition and continuance of Egyptian aggressions. Today’s letter listed ten separate acts of aggression within the 24 hour period ending last night.
The situation arising from Egyptian attacks inside Israel’s territory, the letter stated, was discussed at a conference between Maj. Gen. E. L. M. Burns, chief of staff of the United Nations truce supervision organization, and Prime Minister David Ben Gurion and Foreign Minister Moshe Sharett. “Maj. Gen Burns stated,” the letter continued, “that if investigation confirmed that these attacks had been carried out on orders from the Egyptian authorities, Egypt would be placing herself in the position of aggressor.
“Maj. Gen. Burns expressed the hope that Israel nevertheless, would not resort to counteraction against Egypt. The Prime Minister replied that Israel must reserve her freedom of action, unless an unequivocal assurance, without reservations, was obtained from the Egyptian Government to the effect that it would refrain from all hostile acts in accordance with the General Armistice Agreement.”
Most of this latest series of aggressions, according to the Israel letter, occurred well within Israel’s borders. The letter reported that at least nine members of the Egyptian marauding bands have been tracked down and killed, while several others were injured or captured. There were a number of Israeli casualties, including at least two dead and six injured, among them some children. Considerable damage was caused by the Egyptian bands.
Last night Israel accused Egypt, in a letter to the Security Council, of inaugurating a “murderous wave of aggression” which has “mounted steadily during the past few days. It blamed the Egyptian high command for numerous deaths of Egyptian civilians in Gaza by setting up aggressive “military emplacements in thickly populated areas, in reckless folly and wanton disregard of human lives.”
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