Government House, the compound in Jerusalem’s prewar no-man’s-land occupied by the defunct United Nations Truce Supervision Organization, flew the United Nations flag again today for the first time since June.
In June, after attacking Jordanian troops had taken that compound, Israeli troops had recaptured the U.N. headquarters and had given refuge in secure areas of Jerusalem to Lt. Gen. Odd Bull, commander of the U.N. force, and his entire staff. Last week, under an agreement between Israel and U.N. Secretary-General U Thant, reluctantly accepted by the latter, Israel allowed Gen. Bull and his staff to move back into the main building in the area, but kept two-thirds of the area for itself for security reasons. Gen. Bull raised the U.N. flag over the main building again this weekend, and has also been permitted, under the agreement with Mr. Thant, to use the U.N. radio transmitter which is located in the area retained by Israel.
It was believed here today that the U.N.’s acceptance of the arrangement was only de facto, and that Gen. Bull would raise the issue further with the Israeli authorities. While Mr. Thant continues to refer to Gen. Bull as chief of staff of UNTSO, Israel calls him only the chief U.N. observer of the cease-fire arrangements with the hostile Arab states. Israel maintains that UNTSO has ceased to exist, since it was based on the 1949 Israeli-Arab armistice agreements which were shattered by the June war.
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