Syrian gun positions beyond the Galilee border opened fire twice more, last night and early this morning, against Israeli workers in the Lake Tiberias area. An Israeli Druse watchman was killed and another wounded in two frontier forays by Syrians in the same region Monday night.
Last night, while Israeli border patrolmen stood by to protect the workers at one point near the border, Syrian emplacements opened heavy fire, which was returned by the Israeli forces. Israel immediately demanded that the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization arrange a cease-fire.
At dawn, while UN military observers were looking into the attack, the Syrians started firing against another Israeli sector nearby, south of Shear Yashuv. It is at that settlement where the one man was killed and another wounded Monday night. Israel filed another complaint on the early morning attack with the UNTSO. Again Israel returned the fire and, this time, the Syrians asked the UN for a cease-fire.
Israeli circles are watching this spate of Syrian attacks with some concern. There is little doubt here that at least three of the four attacks in the last few days came from Syrian army positions. It is believed possible here that the attack on the two watchmen may have been made by infiltrators, but all the attacks are considered the responsibility of the authorities in the Syrian region of the United Arab Republic.
The attacks and border raids are believed here to be a reflection of the tough statements issued at the Cairo conference of Arab Foreign and Defense Ministers, who threatened to use force to halt Israel’s water development project on which the workers in the Lake Tiberias area are engaged.
The Israel Government, however, has made it clear that any interference with the water development project would be considered an act of war, in violation of Israel’s armistice agreements with both Egypt and Syria. Israel is known to have informed the Western Powers of her attitude in this regard, and to have requested that the West relay this information to the Arab states.
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