A statement revealing that Israel has accepted and Egypt rejected United Nations proposals aimed at easing the tension along the Gaza strip was issued here today by UN Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold. The statement reads:
“Some months ago. Maj. Gen. E. L. M. Burns, as Chief of Staff of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization in Palestine, put forward certain practical proposals aiming at reducing or eliminating the risk of new incidents along the demarcation line of the Gaza strip. In order to further negotiations concerning these proposals. I suggested to Gen. Burns to sound out the possibility to discuss them on a level higher than that regularly represented in the Mixed Armistice Commission.
“Gen. Burns now informs me that, while the suggestion has been accepted by the Israel Government, the Egyptian Government does not believe that such a change of procedure would prove useful. Under these circumstances, the efforts to reach agreement on the concrete proposals of Gen. Burns will be pursued by him through channels already established. I am assured by the Egyptian Government that their representative at the discussions will have full authority to negotiate concerning practical proposals for reducing the risk of incidents.”
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