Distr. GENERAL S/8818 1)' September 1968 ORIGINAL: ENGLISH r LETTER DATED 17 SEPTEMBER1968 FROM THE PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF ISRAEL ADDRESSEDTO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL On instructions from my Government, I have the honour to refer to my letter of 26 August 1968 (S/8774.) concerning repeated violations of the cease-fire by Jordan and to draw your attention to the continuation and intensification of military attacks from Jordanian territory against Israel since that date, Yesterday, 16 September, at approximately 1000 hours local time, Jordanian forces on the East Bank of the Jordan opened mortar and small arms fire on Israeli forces near Maoz Haim in the Beit Shean Valley. One Israeli soldier was killed and three were wounded. Fire was returned in self-defence. During the night the town of Beit Shean itself was shelled by 130 mm rockets fired from the East Bank of the Jordan. These rockets, of Czechoslovakian manufacture, are standard equipment in Arab armies. As a result of this attack, eight civilians were wounded, The Israel forces fired back on targets across the border from Beit Shean, in the Irbid area. Again, last night, at 2345 hours, artillery and mortar fire was opened on Israeli forces on the West Bank near the Allenby Bridge, from Jordanian territory on the East Bank of the Jordan. Fire was returned in self-defence and the exchange continued until 0300 this morning. These recent incidents follow a series of grave Jordanian violations of the cease-fire during the last three weeks , particulars of the more serious of which are contained in the attached list. In the four-week period since 18 August 1968, attacks from Jordan on Israel and Israeli forces included forty-three assaults by shelling, forty-one instances of opening of small arms fire, eight instances of bazooka firing, Six Cases Of mining, two cases of sabotage, one instance of rocket shelling, making a total Of 103 initiations of fire. As a result of these attacks five Israeli soldiers 68- 19452 / . s /OS18 English Page 2 and policemen were killed and twenty-six wounded. Three civilians were killed and twelve wounded, The responsibility of the Government of Jordan for the continuous and repeated acts of warfare directed against the civilian population and the Israeli forces 9 and for the further deterioration of a grave situation, is thus clearly established. The ceaseless military attacks are incompatible with Jordan's obligations under the cease-fire and constitute a flagrant breach of the Security Council resolution of 16 August 1968 (%6/1968), particularly the preamble and paragraphs 1 and 3 thereof. They bring into question Jordan's undertakings through its agreement to the cease-fire. I have the honour to request that this letter be circulated as a Security Council document. Please accept, etc. (Signed) Yosef TEKOAH Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations -- s/8818 English Page 3 1. On 28 August 1968, at approximately 0515 hours local time, Jordanian forces opened fire on an armoured vehicle of the Israel Border Police near Neveh-Ur in the Jordan Valley. Fire was returned and the exchange continued for twenty minutes. 2. Also on 28 August, at approximately 1610 hours, Jordanian forces opened fire on an Israeli patrol east of Al-Dabusiah in the southern Golan Heights. Fire was returned. 3. On 29 August, at approximately 0800 and again at 0930 and 1130 hours, Jordanian forces opened fire on Israeli forces near Ashdot Yaakov in the Jordan Valley. Fire was returned. 4. On 30 August, at approximately 0530 hours, an Israeli patrol encountered a group of marauders about 5 kms south of Umm Tzuz in the Jordan Valley. The marauders escaped eastward to Jordan under covering fire from Jordanian military positions on the East Bank of the Jordan River. 5* On 4 September, at approximately 0510 hours, Jordanian positions on the East Bank opened fire on Israel forces near Neveh-Ur and Yardena in the Beit Shean Valley. Fire was returned. 6. Also on 1~ September, at approximately 0600 hours, Jordanian mortars shelled Israeli forces about 8 kms north of Umm Sidra in the Jordan Valley. Fire was returned, At approximately 1215 hours an Israeli vehicle was blown up by an anti-vehicle mine laid in a track in the area of Parran in the Arava. At approximately 2230 hours Jordanian mortars shelled the area of Kfar Ruppin and Beit Yosef in the Beit Shean Valley. Fire was returned and the exchange lasted until 2315 hours. 7. On 6 September at approximately 0510 hours, Jordanian forces opened fire, including bazooka shells, on an armoured vehicle of the Israel Border Police near Neveh-Ur. One policeman was wounded. Fire was returned in self-defence. At approximately 0630 hours, Jordanian forces again opened small arms and bazooka fire on a Border Police half-track in the same area. Three policemen were wounded and the exchange lasted until 0700 hours. At approximately 0930 hours, the Jordanians renewed their fire in the same area. Israel forces returned fire and the exchange lasted until 1200 hours. / D. 26.. c;1 - S/8818 English Page 4. 8. Also on 6 September, at 14.15 hours, Jordanian forces opened fire on Israel forces south of Eeit Yosef in the Beit Shean Valley. Fire was returned. 9. On 8 September, at 0930 hours, when Israeli soldiers were dismantling two mines discovered in a track east of Al-Dabusiyah in the southern Golan Heights near the Jordanian cease-fire line, fire was opened on them from Jordanian military positions across the river. Fire was returned in self-defence. 10. On 8 September, at approximately 0500 hours, Jordanian forces opened fire at an Israeli Border Police patrol near Neveh-Ur. Fire was returned and the exchange lasted until 0640 hours. 11. On 9 September, at approximately 1400 hours, Jordanian forces opened fire on an Israeli patrol moving on a track near Neveh-Ur. Fire was returned. 12. Also on 9 September, at approximately 1540 hours, Jordanian mortars and machine-guns again opened fire on an Israeli Border Police patrol in the same area m Fire was returned. Three Israeli policemen were wounded. 13 - Again on that day and in the same area, at approximately 1800 hours, Jordanian military positions on the East Bank opened small arms fire and directed artillery shells on an Israeli half-track. Fire was returned. 14. On 10 September, at approximately 0600 hours, two bazooka shells and small arms fire was directed from the East Bank on an Israeli Border Police patrol near r Ashdot Yaakov in the Jordan Valley. At approximately 0745 hours, Jordanian forces again opened fire on an Israeli patrol in the same area. Fire was returned. 1-5 ' On 10 September, at approximately 1800 hours, Jordanian forces opened fire on Israel forces on the West Bank near Um Shurt in the Jordan Valley. Fire was returned. 16. Also on 10 September, at approximately 2000 hours, Jordanian mortars started shelling Israeli positions in the area of Al-Dabusiyah in the southern Golan Heights. Fire was returned. One hour later, Jordanian mortars again shelled Israel forces in the same area. Fire was returned. On the same day, at approximately 23lO hours, Jordanian forces opened l-7 l artillery and small arms fire on Israel forces in the area between Ashdot Yaakov and Tirat Zvi in the Beit Shean Valley. Fire was returned. / . -- -.- S/8818 English Page 5 18. On 11 September, at approximately 091.5 hours, Jordanian positions in the area of Al-Manshia on the East Bank opened fire on Israeli forces in the area of the Neveh-Ur. Fire was returned, 19. On 11 September, at approximately 2230 hours, Jordanian forces opened mortar and small arms fire on Israeli forces south of Ashdot Yaakov in the Jordan Valley, Fire was returned. 20. On 12 September, at approximately 1100 hours, Jordanian positions on the East Bank opened fire on an Israeli half-track near Ashdot Yaakov in the Jordan Valley. Fire was returned. An hour later, in the same area, the Jordanians again opened fire on a second Israeli half-track. Fire was returned. 21. On 12 September, at approximately 2000 hours, Jordanian mortars opened fire on Israeli forces in the area of Yardena, Beit Yosef and Kfar Ruppin in the Beit Shean Valley. Fire was returned. 22. On 13 September at approximately 0615 hours, Jordanian forces opened fire on an Israeli Border Police patrol near Maoz Haim in the Beit Shean Valley. Fire was returned. One Israeli policeman was killed and three were wounded. 23. Also on IL3 September, at approximately 1115 hours, Jordanian military positions on the East Bank opened artillery fire on Israel forces near Yardena in the Beit Shean Valley. Fire was returned. At approximately 3230 hours, Jordanian artillery again started shelling Israel forces in the southern Golan Heights west of el-Khema and in the area of Neveh-Ur. Fire was returned. 24. On 14 September, at approximately 0100 hours, Jordanian forces opened fire on an Israeli patrol near Neveh-Ur. Fire was returned. 25 - Again on 14 September, at 0500 hours, Jordanian forces opened fire on Israeli forces in the area of Tirat Zvi in the Beit Shean Valley. Fire was returned* 26. On 15 September, at approximately 0750 hours, Jordanian forces opened small arms and bazooka fire on an Israeli armoured vehicle near Gesher in the Beit Shean Valley. Fire was returned. 27. Also on 15 September, at approximately 2140 hours, Jordanian forces opened fire on an Israeli patrol south of Urn TZUZ in the Jordan Valley* Fire w's returned. 28. On 15 September three civilian watchmen who had been guarding construction equipment at an isolated site, south of Makhtesh Rimon in the Negev, were found killed and part of the equipment sabotaged.