Israel today issued a stern warning to Jordan over an attack yesterday in which two Israeli soldiers were killed, a third injured, and three civilians seriously wounded.
Israel authorities told Jordan officials in direct contact at the Mandelbaum Gate between Old and New Jerusalem, the area of the fresh attack, that “if you cannot control your undisciplined army, we will do it for you. ” The Israeli officials cited an earlier incident on June 16, when Arab Legionnaires fired without provocation on an Israeli military patrol, killing one soldier, Jordan at that time assured Israel it was not official Jordanian policy to disturb the peace between the two countries, and expressed regret.
Following a strong Israeli protest to the United Nations Mixed Armistice Commission, UN officials began an investigation immediately of the latest exchange of gunfire. The Jordanians began shooting from a position in the wall around the Old City. According to the UN Truce Supervision Organization, the Jordanians contended that Israel fired first.
Tourists on Mount Zion began rushing down the slope when the shooting began. A soldier on top of Mount Zion was hit and tumbled down. The intensity of the gunfire was so great that one wounded soldier could not be reached for40 minutes, and he died en route to a hospital. The second Israeli soldier was killed when he was hit at his post on the slope facing Mount Zion. The three wounded civilians were a man and his 14-year-old daughter, and another man.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
