U.N. Announces Israel-egyptian Agreement to Prevent Border Clashes

Egyptian-Israel agreement to arrangements designed to keep the cease-fire along the Gaza border was announced here today by United Nations Truce Supervision Organization headquarters. Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold, who together with Maj. Gen. E.L.M. Burns, UN truce chief, obtained the agreement, met twice today with Israel Premier David Ben Gurion.

The UN announcement said that both parties have agreed to accept a number of fixed UN observation posts on each side of the Gaza demarcation line. These posts will be supplemented by mobile UN patrols when necessary, the communique said, and “steps have been taken for the recruitment of the additional number of observers made necessary by this agreement.”

(In Washington, a State Department spokesman said that the United States Government welcomes the Israel-Egyptian agreement. “This agreement,” the spokesman said, “was made possible by the spirit of goodwill and accommodation displayed by both sides but much credit is also due to the wise and tireless efforts of United Nations Secretary General Hammarskjold and General Burns.”)

It is understood that Israel has agreed to this arrangement only for a six-month period ending October 31, 1956. The agreement provides for the location of the UN posts, for there being an equal number of them on each side of the frontier, and for the fact that UN officers shall travel to the posts along designated routes after notification to the side on which the post is located. If the party in whose territory the post is located desires, it may send an officer of its own to accompany the observer.

ISRAEL INTERCEPTS EGYPTIAN-CHARTERED PHOTO RECONNAISSANCE PLANE

The reluctance and skepticism with which Israeli circles have greeted Mr. Hammarskjold’s “palliative” efforts were underlined today by a new clash near the settlement of Neve Or, south of Lake Tiberias, where Jordanian infiltrators were repulsed. In addition, an Egyptian-chartered plane was intercepted over the Negev on a photo reconnaissance mission, and a victim of last Sunday’s Egyptian attacks was buried. The victim was a settler at Nachal Oz who was wounded, kidnaped, mutilated and then slain by Egyptian infiltrators guarded by Egyptian troops.

The intercepted Egyptian-chartered KLM plane, a Dakota, was forced to land at Lydda airport. A crew of four Netherlanders and one member of the Egyptian Air Force was captured. The plane was equipped with photographic equipment and the Israel found exposed film.

Mr. Hammarskjold spent three hours at the morning session with Premier Ben Gurion which, according to Israeli sources, was highlighted by sharp bargaining and little progress. Only a portion of the questions involved were covered in this period and the remainder was discussed in the afternoon.

Yesterday, Mr. Hammarskjold spent three hours with Foreign Minister Moshe Sharett discussing problems raised during his earlier visit here and reporting on his discussions at Cairo, Damascus, Beirut and Amman. The Secretary General is understood to have brought with him Lebanon’s, Syria and Jordan’s consent to a cease-fire.

Mr. Hammarskjold is alleged to have stated that resumption of work by Israel on the Jordan River project would not constitute a breach of the armistice pact. Israel, for its part, is understood to have insisted on its right to resume work on the development project at any time. Also, Israel is said to have insisted that observance of the armistice agreements means observance of the entire pact in each case, including re-opening of the Suez Canal as far as the Egyptian pact is concerned.