Obviously worried over the renewed tension along the Jordan-Israel frontier, which was marked today by the shooting down of an Israel plane and by an attack, yesterday on United Nations military observers by Jordanian villagers, United Nations Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold issued a warning to Jordan and Israel today reminding them of their obligations to maintain the cease-fire.
Mr. Hammarskjold seems to have been especially concerned over the fact that the flare-up between Jordan and Israel started 24 hours after his visit to Jordan, where he had been assured that the cease-fire promise would be kept. In fact, upon arrival here several days ago he told the press that he thought his brief visit last week to Israel, Jordan and Egypt had helped improve conditions on the Arab-Israel frontiers.
In a statement issued here today prior to his departure for New York, the Secretary General “deeply” regretted the incidents which occurred on the Jordanian-Israeli demarcation line immediately after his leaving the two countries. He added that he was grieved by the injuries suffered during the last two days by three United Nations observers “who have been seriously injured while on duty in the cause of peace.” Two of the UN officials were wounded when a land mine exploded in the Mt. Scopus area and one was injured in yesterday’s attack by the Jordanians.
“The incidents,” said Mr. Hammarskjold in today’s statement, “were unexpected, as I felt entitled to count on the most rigorous measures in implementation of the general ceasefire. They are expressions of the deeply disturbed conditions which still prevail and which render it imperative for all concerned to impose the discipline which alone can preserve peace and order.
“I have directed a new strong appeal to those concerned to take all measures necessary for the protection of the cease-fire to which they are bound by solemn undertakings to the United Nations. I trust that these appeals will be heeded. The obligations remain, and failures to live up to them do not mean that these obligations are reduced to empty words. It is my conviction that the governments will be faithful to and put into action their responsibilities so as to help the United Nations to develop the cease-fire into a generally accepted state of mind in which a repetition of what has just happened is excluded.
“I now return to New York where, at Headquarters, I will do my utmost on the basis of my recent experiences in the region and in the light of the latest developments to see to it that the cease fire is followed through. My return should not give rise to any impression that I consider us to face an emergency where we are in danger of losing what in past months has so painstakingly been built up. It is motivated by my conviction of the usefulness of continued and intensified efforts along the lines on which we have embarked,” the Secretary General emphasized.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
