Thant Asks That Neutral Zones Be Set Up Around UN Observations Posts at Suez

A proposal that neutral zones be set up around United Nations observation posts along the Suez Canal to protect UN personnel from Arab and Israeli gunfire was contained in a report on the Suez situation submitted to the 15-member Security Council yesterday by Secretary-General U Thant. Mr. Thant is presently travelling in Europe.

The proposal for the zones was made by Lt. Gen. Odd Bull, of Norway, chief of the UN cease-fire observers corps in the Mideast. Mr. Thant said in his report that he was “increasingly concerned about recent developments which threaten the effectiveness” of the observers of the “cease-fire in the Suez Canal sector.” He asserted that the recent firing across the waterway by both sides exposed UN personnel to “grave danger” and interfered with their work.

(Foreign Ministry officials said in Jerusalem today that Mr. Thant’s full report confirmed Israel’s assertion that Egypt was responsible for any danger to UN observers. They noted that the appendix to the report showed that Egyptian troops had prevented for more than two hours the evacuation of a wounded UN officer on the Israeli side of the canal.

(They said, however, that Israel would reject Mr. Thant’s demand to place patrol boats on the canal. They said that this would further endanger UN personnel in the boats and would violate the mutual agreement between Israel and Egypt precluding any navigation on the waterway. The officials said, however, that Israel might agree to remove its gun positions from the vicinity of UN observation posts although the Secretary-General’s report made it clear that there were no Israeli guns closer than several score yards from any UN post while the Egyptians positioned their guns only a yard or two away from UN posts on their side of the canal.)