The Chief of Staff of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization, Major Gen. Carl von Horn, today informed UN Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold of the acceptance by the governments of Israel and the United Arab Republic of his findings as based on the survey conducted by United Nations surveyors in the area of Lake Huleh last week.
Copies of the survey report were communicated to both parties to the armistice agreement under cover of a letter from Gen. von Horn embodying his findings. The covering letter addressed to both governments was identical in content. In his letter Gen. von Horn stated, inter alia, that the United Nations survey found that in connection with the ditch which Israel began to dig on March 24, there were certain encroachments on land in which Arabs had property rights in the demilitarized zone.
“Such encroachments, ” Gen. von Horn stated, “should be corrected according to the United Nations surveyors’, findings. After they have been corrected, the ditch may be completed, provided no further encroachments take place. United Nations observers will be available for such checking as may be necessary. ” General von Horn concluded by expressing his “firm hope that the two parties to the armistice agreement will accept the above findings, inform their nationals, and see to it that no further incident troubles tranquillity in the area. “
Mr. Hamnarskjold, at a press conference here today, said that there was no “condemnation” of Israel in Gen. von Horn’s report as Arab circles here claimed. He also denied that his meeting in Geneva last week with Mahmoud Fawzi, Foreign Minister of the United Arab Republic, had anything to do with the Huleh dispute.
“There was no special emergency, ” the UN Chief said, “and neither, the Huleh matter nor anything else of the kind was responsible for my meeting with Mr. Fawzi. You must remember that the United Nations has a special relationship to Egypt inasmuch as it is host to one of our special functions. ” That reference was understood to refer to the United Nations Emergency Force.
In response to another question, as to whether he still perceives in the Middle East “the will to peace, ” Mr.Hammarskjold said firmly: “Very much so.”
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