The Egypt-Israel conflict, centered around repeated Egyptian aggressions across the Israel border along the Gaza strip which the Egyptians control, erupted powerfully here again today. Strenuous efforts were understood to be under way to calm both Egypt and Israel, after two long reports were received by Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold from his on-the-spot representative, Maj. Gen. E.L.M. Burns, squarely placing the blame upon Egypt for the more recent outbursts of firing along the Gaza strip.
Mr. Hammarskjold conferred this morning with the ranking representatives of both Egypt and Israel. First he had a discussion with the acting head of the Egyptian delegation, Dr. Abdel Meguid Ramadan. Then he went into conference with the acting head of the Israel delegation, Mordecai R. Kidron.
While, in conformity with his usual practice, Mr. Hammarskjold made no announcement of the subject matter discussed with Dr. Ramadan Mr. Kidron–observing a self-imposed rule of confidence following talks with individual delegates–other U.N. officials conceded freely that the talks were undoubtedly concerned with Mr. Hammarskjold’s continuing efforts to back Gen. Burns’ attempts for pacification. It was assumed also that both the Egyptian and the Israeli delegates had been summoned by Mr. Hammarksjold to receive from him what might in effect be a plea for peace that they could relay to their home governments.
On the other hand, Mr. Kidron declared after his 45-minute conference with Secretary General Hammarskjold that–at least as far as he was concerned–he had initiated the meeting on instructions from his government. Israel circles thereupon made an immediate connection between Mr. Kidron’s request for a conference today and the fact that Dr. Walter Eytan, director general of the Israel Foreign Ministry, conferred yesterday with General Burns. The latter, it was reported here, went to Gaza this morning, and has an appointment with Egypt’s Premier Col. Gamal Abdel Nasser on Friday.
In his cables. Gen. Burns, who is head of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization in Palestine, reported: 1. That yesterday’s meeting of the Israel-Egyptian Mixed Armistice Commission laid upon Egypt the blame for a mine explosion incident on the Israel side of the demarcation line on April 28; Israel was formally censured for retaliatory fire as a result of that same incident; 2. That a three-hour exchange of fire between Israel and Egypt on Monday of this week had been started by Egypt “according to a United Nations observer who witnessed the beginning.”
The April 28th mine incident investigation by MAC showed that an unexploded mine dug up by the Israel patrol and “dismantled later in the day in the presence of a United Nations observer” showed that the “mines were manufactured in Egypt and bore the inscription ‘anti-tank mine made in Egypt.'”
The MAC resolution referring to the April 28th occurrence declared that the mines along the Gaza strip had been laid by “mine experts.” Gen. Burns reported that the United Nations chairman of this Commission, who voted for the anti-Egyptian resolution as formulated by Israel, made a reservation, to this effect: “By the term ‘mine experts’ I understand to mean people who lay mines competently.”
(Gen. Burns flew from Jerusalem this morning to Cairo to confer with Egyptian Premier Nasser. An Arab radio broadcast monitored in Jerusalem said that Premier Nasser had invited Gen. Burns to Cairo to complain about Israel “aggression.”)
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