Three Israeli policemen were wounded today by gunfire from Syrian territory when Arabs on the eastern bank of Lake Tiberias opened fire against Israeli fishing boats on the lake. The fishing boats were escorted by a police launch.
The Syrians used machine guns and other automatic weapons as well as artillery. The Israeli police returned the fire. Two of the fishing boats suffered damage but managed to reach the Israeli shore. The police launch also reached shore safely. The Israel Government has demanded an immediate meeting of the Syrian-Israel Armistice commission to discuss the incident.
This is the second serious attack by Syria on Israeli fishermen on Lake Tiberias within a week. Two Israeli fishing boats were fired upon by Syrian troops on the east bank of the lake last Thursday. The lake is in Israel territory together with a narrow strip about ten metres deep along the north eastern bank. This arrangement dates back to the Anglo-French agreement on the Syrian-Palestine frontiers reached after World War I.
The Syrians have recently started to press claims to the eastern bank of the lake, and have been molesting Israelis fishing near the eastern shores. In the clash today, the Israeli police boats first replied with rile fire to the Syrian shore artillery. Later, however, the police had to use artillery to protect the damaged fishing boats as they limped to shore.
The attack by the Syrians on the Israeli fishing boats took place today while the Israel-Syrian mixed armistice commission was in session and discussing Israel’s complaint over the similar attack by Syria last Thursday. The Israeli representatives demanded that the United Nations take speedy measures to prevent further attacks of this nature.
(In London it was reported from Damascus today that Israeli boats, equipped with heavy caliber guns, shelled two Syrian advance posts on the eastern shore of Lake Tiberias, injuring two Syrians.)
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