An official Egyptian Government spokesman announced in Cairo today that Egypt has decided that the future of “1,000,000 Palestinian Arabs” must be settled before there can be passage of Israel shipping through the Strait of Tiran.
The statement was issued by Information Minister Abdel Kader Hatem. He said United Nations resolutions of 1948 on repatriation of Arab refugees must be implemented before Egypt will pemit Israel ships through Egyptian territorial waters into the Gulf of Akaba.
Egyptian sources said Egypt has been given to understand by the United States that the proposals made to Israel were designed to cause Israel withdrawal and that no firm commitment was offered Israel on the transit question.
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