One Israeli soldier was killed and one wounded today as military units repulsed an invasion of Israel territory by a good-sized Arab force which crossed the frontier in the Hebron area. The Arabs were sent reeling back into Jordan territory with a number of casualties. This latest act of aggression was immediately protested to the Israel-Jordan Mixed Armistice Commission.
It was learned that yesterday, at the height of the inter-party negotiations over the Cabinet crisis, Chief of Staff Gen. Mordecai Makleft spent considerable time with Premier David Ben Gurion discussing the tense border situation.
Israeli circles still consider UN truce Chief Gen. William Riley’s suggestion for a high level Israel-Jordan conference on ending the tension the best proposal for achieving a measure of security, but the Jordanians continue to oppose such a meeting. With the recent developments, which include the use of highly-trained Arab forces in the marauding expeditions, the Israelis feel that the situation cannot be adequately handled on the level of local commanders.
In southern Israel, where three villages were attacked Monday night, witnesses told an investigating subcommittee of the armistice commission that a red flare was the signal for the simultaneous attacks on the three settlements. The villagers demanded military protection against future attacks. Military observers in the area feel that the purpose of these raids was to keep up tension along the border.
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