News Brief

U. N. CHIEF SAYS SUEZ BLOCKADE VIOLATES ISRAEL-EGYPTIAN ARMISTICE PACT

Mr. Hammarskjold said that in his opinion “rights of belligerence” can not be invoked in strict conformity with the Israel-Egypt armistice agreement of 1949 or in conformity with the 1951 Security Council resolution. “Interference,” he said, “runs counter to the armistice regime. If there are belligerent rights, such rights do not include the right to interfere with shipping.”

The UN chief stated, however, “non compliance is widespread among all the parties. It is not justified to speak of a double standard. We try to obtain compliance all around.” Asked whether he thought Israel and Egypt or some of the other Arab states would ever be willing to sit down and talk peace, he replied: “It is absurd to think that they never will sit down. I don’t think the situation is that absurd.”

Mr. Hammarskjold denied that Egypt had “vetoed” Israel’s plans for a fence along the Israel-Gaza border. This issue, he said, had really been raised more than a year ago by Maj. Gen. E.L.M. Burns, now commander of the UN Emergency Force and at that time head of the UN Truce Supervisory Organization. Gen. Burns’ plan at the very start was not to fence the entire frontier but only one section of it, the UN chief declared.

Asked about recent complaints by Israel against renewed Egyptian incursions across the Gaza border, he said that while apparently there had been crossings, “if you look at what really happened, I don’t think you can call them raids.”

He said it does not help the United Nations if ”the significance of those actions is exaggerated. ” He also said he was completely in favor of a subcommittee from his Seven Nation Advisory Committee on UNEF going to the Gaza area to investigate the various complaints and evaluate them on the spot.