Untso Releases Israeli Complaint That Egypt Fired Two Shots Across Suez Canal

The United Nations released today a report by its Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) in the Middle East in which Israel charges that at 9:10 a.m., yesterday, Jerusalem time, “UAR forces fired two single shots, small arms fire, from west to east, directed at Israeli forces in the vicinity of OP Silver.” That is an observation post in the area of Ismailia in the central sector of the Suez Canal. The UNTSO report said the officer in charge of the Ismailia control center was informed of the “alleged Incident” 40 minutes later, too late to take effective action. The observer site was reopened yesterday after having been closed since May 10. (In Washington, State Department spokesman Robert J. McCloskey, asked today about Israel’s charges of shooting violations. said the State Department had received such reports but that they were “nothing dramatic.”) UNTSO’s authority in the area, UN spokesmen said, is solely over cease-fire violations, not standstill violations. The latter, it was explained, are a matter between Israel and Egypt, as negotiated by the United States under its peace initiative, although technically, UNTSO can receive complaints on standstill violations and buildups. A UN spokesman said that special mediator Gunnar V. Jarring was still awaiting reports from Israel, Egypt and Jordan on the questions of the time, site and representation for negotiations. Talks are expected to begin as soon as Dr. Jarring receives replies from the three nations. Egypt has named UN Ambassador Mohammed H. El-Zayyat as its negotiator, and Jordan named UN Ambassador Muhammad H. El-Farra to negotiate. Both ambassadors were reported favoring New York as the site for the negotiations.