Dr. Ralph Bunche, acting mediator for Palestine, today stated that the United Nations will continue to press Israel and Syria to conclude an armistice agreement as soon as possible.
The negotiations for such an agreement broke off this week after Syria refused to withdraw its troops from the Jewish settlement of Mishmar Hayarden which was seized by Syrian forces during the Israeli-Arab war. The Israeli Government insists that the boundary between Syria and Palestine be made the armistice line and that all Syrian forces on Israeli territory be withdrawn to that line.
While withholding comments on the breakdown in the armistice talks which were in progress for nearly seven weeks on the Israeli-Syrian frontier, Dr. Bunche revealed today that a new formula for settlement was submitted to the two states three days ago. He added that a final draft was now being worked out on the basis of subsequent discussions conducted by Henri Vigier, the U.N. mediator’s personal aide, with each of the countries involved.
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