MIDDLE. E,AST RECORD

VOLUME ONE 1960

THE ORIENTAL SOCIETY THE REUVEN SHILOAH RESEARCH CENTER , P.O.B. 1067 5 ,l]]tltlllr{fl

ARAB.ISRADL BORDEI{ RELATIONS

THE ISRADLI.SYRTAN BORDER lJpper Talvafiq at a traclcl --- -. Katzir area, and later in:.-: -- - [Incidents in the southern DZ started in Dec 1959, and inc:-::: occurred daily from 26 The viilage officer investigating the armed clashes Jan. Syrian Army sirokesman :-.- Tarvafiq rvas raided by Israel Defence Forces (IDF) A * of -Feb plating aggressive action in :: I 1 and clashes continued until 6 Feb. Later = units on rrould be rcpelled by for,e. .. the month lvarlike tension ensued betrveen Israel ar-rd - in 14 the UAR, (On these see p 197 ff.) The incidents in the June) On 14' fi.re rtas o1 -- northern DZ in Feb described belorv were regarded at thc June =:.i; the Bnot Ya'akov bridge. .:', : time as a consequence of the tension.] -- On 15 June Syrian positic:-i ::-- a tractor ploughing a field ne;.: l.- Jan-June: Various Incidents. During the soqin.q- season, (collective village) of Dan in the Huleh Val- lune ) ih" kibbrrt, Cairo Radio :r'- :::r. also cultivated its land in the northern DZ. In the On 27 June ley Akhbar a statement by the f ::r: course of this r,r'ork, Israeli tractors struck mines in the man to the cffcct tllat the >. --::' area nine times. (Ila'aretz' 14 Jan) borders by gangs" r'c'-:-: : patrol r'vas fired on north-east of Kfar Szold. "Israeli An Israeli the :r: .-...: (Ha'aretz, torious UAR Armies in i::-.: i: 14 Jan) Islacli artillcry fire one sin-ele..'.' On 26 an Israeli soidier was slightly t''ounded u'hen Jan the Israeli border area into a 1i"':: a squad ol Syrian troops penetrated about 150 metres into follow the aggression a min'::: Israel territory and fiied at a patrol, north-east of Kfar in the establishment of contact oL :': : : :: : '. : Szold. The Israel patrol did not return fire. The Syrians rvarning in the same vein u'as :::::- I kept up automatic fire for 15 minutes and rvithdrerv rvhen on 29 .June, again quoting the C=::: arrived. Israel immediately lodged a com- - UN o6servers ings were not broadcast in AraL:: plaint r'vith the Israeli-syrian MAC' (!er. Po-st, 27 lan) - border' r reported that member of an Israeli On 28 June an Israel ;ci::: -=: Israeli sources a patrol south-e3:: .- T Israel territory lvas rvounded by Syrian a routine border patrol moving in heavy Syrian fire from Uppe: 7" '-:-':. -:. Tel-Azizat in the Huleh Vallev, rvhich continued by hre from secure a c. : - l by an armoured car to extricate the sol- veral UN attempls to -: during atternpts the wounded man l\'ere tulned i-i..:- : :.:: diers.-A cease-fi." rvas arranged by UN observers. (/er. died on his way to a hospital. ' h-.:' :" :: : - Feb) Syrian sources said that an Israeli armoured ' Post,5 An Israel note to the Securi:v f-:-:.-,, :- car Lad penetiated the DZ and opened fire on the .A,rab specific action) assei"ted that ;l': : : .' . : : border position, and another armoured car appeared later. - One of-them rvas hit by Syrian fire. (,R. Cairo,4 Feb* rian fishing in the Sea of Gal;1t:- .::'.:-: : IMB, 5 Feb) quoted UAR threats (see abo\e . tr.r :l:'r':: Feb trvo members of an Israeli patrol r'vere killed On 12 forces on the border had orders :: :.:: ::,: by Syrian macl-rine-gun fire in the Tel Hilal sector, north 'lvait further instructions. D::-:::.,:-: : .: (formeily as Dardara). It rvas on its for oi Aihrrrru known the note a "warning" to the L.\i' -: : :" check a fire the eastern Huleh Valley, and u'as rvay to in Post, 3 in israel territory when attacked. (Jer. Post,13 Feb) 'the Jer. July) Syrians opened f;re :-- .:. :::::: . Staff, General Laskov, reported to a Ca- On 3 July Israel Chief of gaged a routine patrol in ri:e a:.: ':r: binet meeting that Syrians were building fortifications on in police officer was killed a leek ::: -: the border. (Jer. Post, 15 Feb) The Syrian Army sp-okes- -:, the incident started rvhen Israeli forces Iulv) man said that Biran, Director of Arnis',:.: -: I opened fire on Arab cultivators in theDZ. (R. Damascus, Dr -r.i, Gener:.1 , :. :'- . 12 Feb*IMB, 14 Feb) Foreign Ministry, met hinr. acccici::.- : . Mar Israel and Syria cooperated for the first time UN'ISO, and told In of incidel:s : .-- l the Armistice Agreement was signed in destroying that the latest spate c:-:-- since recent IJAR ti:::,:, ! :...: slvarms of locusts near the border. After Syrian agreement, in the light of border rre:= : :lr I l Israeli planes sprayed the border areas without inter- centrations on the ( Ha' aretz Daaar, 6 lerence from 17 to 25 l\{ar. (Ha'aretz,3 Apr) ; July ) sent a note to the t \ S: : ,.' The Israeli Press reported that Syrians hacl pcnetrated The UAR --'':. Israel territory in the Tel Katzir area several times in butting Israeli allegations of tet:e',r=- : into : a Icrv days, some of them crossing the drainage ditch and vity along the Syrian border. Tl:: :,:: crops. (Ha'aretz; Post, 23 May) 259 aggressive acts along the to:::: : ' lll reaping summer Jer. ' " On 2A May Syrian forces fired at Israeii agricultural of 1960. (R. Cairo, 6 .lul1'-IltE. .; officials locating swarms of locusts near the Bnot Ya'aliov General von Horn held tai:s -:'. :. bidge. (IIa'aretz, 29 May) Commander of the UAR First .-:: -: - -. In June the $,aters of the Dufilla spring on the Syrian Amman, B luIy-IMB,9 Jttl") 11 an Israeli tractc:--.. ..' l side o1 the border, which flow into Israel and are used by On July - the Shamir , r,r,ere diverted into Syria, as the lvas injured rvhen Syrian pcs:::-:,: : - u i :ili:li Syrians do every yeat at this season. UNTSO deait rvith opened fire on him. (Ha'ar,:--. . - .-. the situation. (Ha'aretz, 9 lune) On 22 July, trvo Syriarl solii::; ::, J,r1:'"]:;:)]))ILL to the IDI' spokesrnan, tlhett a S. ---- - I ' " ilin it:l June July: Flare-up in Southern DZ and Bnot Ya'atr'.ttv into lsrael telritoiy'souLh oi K.:. Bridge Sector. [The relative quiet which had prevailed in brought up heavy leinforcetle:.:, :: : rllll the southern D2 area since mid-Feb rvas broken in mid- {or six hours, being directecl a-.: :: J- .. " Repoltine c:. .. - ::.': ,llll.ri;l rll June.] On 11 June an Israeli jeep rvas damaged by a mine aretz, 21 /uly) i irear ihe Bnot Ya'akov htidge. (Ha'aretz, 12 June) Radio said: "Heavy casualtie: \':t: : ': On 12 June fire tas opened from Syrian positions in patrol on 22 July. The Isra:-:. :.., :

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occupied with preparations for the eighth anniversary of On 11 Dec a tractor struck a mine north of the Dan the revolution." (R. Damascus, 22 July-Il,{B, 24 luly) kibbutz in the DZ. Evidence shoned that it had recenrlv On 27 July the First Army spokesman said that an been planted. (Ha'aretz, 12 Dec) [A similar incideni Israeli patrol had tried to infiltrate Syrian iines and had had occurred a year before in the pievious sou,ing sea- been ambushed, suffering heavy casualties. The First son-see above.] Army had demonstrated absolute supremacy. (R. Dr On 20 Dec a Syrian infiltrator armed with a sub- rnl.scus' 27 July-IMB, 28 July) The Israel Army spokes- machinegun and handgrenades s,as kilied inside Israeli rnan said on 27 July that on the previous night Syria"n territory in an encounter between Israeli border police {orces had been observed firing heavily at targets inside and a group of infiltrators. (!er. Post, 20 Dec) their own territory. No Israeli unit rras involted. (Ha'a- On 21 Dec a border police r-ehicle on a routine patrol retz, 2B struck mine ya,akov fll luly) a south of the Bnot bridee. One policeman*rvas slightly rrounded. (Ha,aretz, 22 bec) Aug Oct: Various Incidents, In Aug Syrrans rvere 1'e. On 24_Dec Syrians opened fire on a group of picnick- ported to have stepped up fishing in the north-eastern ers near Dan. There were no injured. (Ha,aietz, iS Oecl part of the , ernploying about 20 boats. (Ha'aretz, 15 Aug) [The whole of the Sea of Galilee THE ISITAEI,I-EGYPTIAN BORDER is in Israel territory including a demilitarized strip of the [For^ .lgyptian military build-up in Sinai in Fe].:, see eastern shore, 10 metres wide.] pp 203-4.1 Ot 4 Aug Syrians opened fire at the Shamir Kibbutz in the Huleh Yalley. (IIa'aretz, Au.g) 5 Egyptian Complaint. Egypt complainecl On Aug Syrians Jan: to the ilIAC 9 opened {ire at a pzrtrol east of -feli that fighter planes had Katzir. (ITdaretz, 10 Aug) _Israeli violated its airspace over 9: 9"1" strip on 10 Jan. (R. Amman, tI jan-IMB, On 22 Aug Syrian fire rvas trained on Misl'rmar FIa- 12 yarden. (Ha'aretz, 23 Aug) lan) On 23 Aug Syrian shots r,yere fired at Gadot, near I\,Iar: Egyptian Squads Intercepted I\{ishmar Hayarden. (Ha'aretz, 24 Aug) .lntelligence [Bacx- cRoLrNn Norn,: Armed Egyptian intelligence iquadi have On 6 Sept Syrian fire u'as aimed at rvorkmen 100 been infiltrating into fsrael since the- metres from the border 19,18 ivar to re- near Shamir. (Ha'aretz, 7 Sept) connoitre, especially to register traffic. On 7 Sept Syrian positions Upper They are i.ecruited in Tawafiq fired at from the settled population and refugecs a patrol on a routine the ol the Gaza checkup east of Tel Katzir. (Ha'a- strip and the Sinai Bedouins, mostly retz, B Sept) from criminal ele- ments._In rnany instances they committed crimina"l acts, On 19 Sept Syrian fire was opened on Israeli r,vorkmen a.part from their intclligence near Tel Katzir. (Ha'aretz, mission. In 1955-1956 the 20 Sept) numbers rvere increased. They were On 1B Oct Syrians opened patrol sent by the Egyptian fire on an Israeli command into Israel on missions of murdei south of Tel Katzir. (Ha'aretz, 19 Act) a,.,d .ibot^ge (see p 327) and became officially known as .,Fida,iyln.;, On 25 Oct three Syrian positions east of Tel J(atzir The destruction opened of their bases of operation rvas one of fire on officials of the Geophysical Institute, 1 km. the declared aims of the Sinai ca*piigrr. south-eas{ of Tel Katzir. (IIa'oret:, Oct) Alter the cam- 26 paign they were reorganized and again employecl on in- telligence missions in Israel, under the command Nov: General Faisal: UAR Army has Regained Large of the Chief fntelligence Officer it Gaza. These squads usually Part of Southern DZ. On 2 Nov, in a speech on the move- by and hide by day. Their interception ge_ UAR Air Force Day, General Faisal, C-in-C of the First _night nerally tahes the form of an exchange of fire.] (Syrian) UAR Army, said that the whole world had l On 2 _Mar a squad of three Fida.iyun was intercepted praised the UAR Army for its heroic deeds in the battle . by an Israeli patrol in the Halutza dunes. One rvas of Tawafiq. Lower Tawafiq (in the southern was DZ) killed, one g?ptured and the third escaped. norv a model village. The UAR Army was They rrere defending the armed with Karl Gustav submachinegunJ Fidi,i;,r.r,s village ancl the UAR flag was flying over woulcl lthe it. "I slandard rreapon] and had been sent brl Eeyntian like to reveal a secret: the First UAR Army has regained mi- -*hi.h litary intelligence to register tra{fic cap_ a major palt of the southern demilitarized ,or-r", in Iirael.'The tured man said that there rvere marauder nthers abandoned previously." (R. Sarut al-Arab, 3 Noo- sqrads in "ev_ery'l police station in the Gaza stip. (Jer. post',4 Mar) IMB, 4 Noz,) (See: The Tawafiq Incident, p 197 tr.) On 5 Ldar l another Egyptian intilligence sqrad rr.as intercepted in the western Negev, ."""i, k-r. inside Is- Nov-Dec: l Various Incidents, On 26 Nov Syrians opeled raeli territory. An armed clash ensued, fire three of the souarl on the Ma'agan kibbutz in the southern DZ from being killed and one rvounded. Ther.e rvere no Israeli positions in Upper Tawafiq. (Ha'arotz, 27 Noa) casualties. (Jer. Post,6 Mar) On 29 Nov Syrian soldiers in Nuqeib village opened fire on Israeli fishermen on the Sea of Galilee. 50 metres r\pr.Nf1V: Incidents on Gaza Strip Border. On 26 Apr from the eastern shore damaging their boat. (IIa'aretz, an Ashkelon resident rvas murderid by infiltrators 30 Nou) from I the_Gaza strip. (Ha'aretz, 2Z Apr) In Dec it rnras definitely ascertained that Syrians t,ere In May Cairo reported that an Israel policeman digging a 1.5 _ had km. antitank trench in the ten-metre bce_n, rrounded rvhile ti.ying to recover a herd cattle i strip between the of eastern sl-rore of the Sea of Galilee and rvhich had crossed 30 meires into the Gaza strip. (R. the international border. (Ha'aretz, 7 Dec) Israel de- Cai.ro,.19 May-IMB, 19 May) mands that work cease forthwith M.ere rlot complied with. _ At the end of N{ay one of iwo armed maraudei.s from (Ha'aretz, B Dec) Further Israeli demands to the same the Gaza strip, stealing irrigation pipes in the r,vestern effect rvere ignorcd. (Ha'aretz, 16 Dec) Negev, was killed. (/er. Post, Jl AIay) On 7 Dec two rounds of automatic fire u,ere fired from Lorver Tarvafiq at two tractor-drivcrs near Tel Katzir. &Iay: Sqate of Aerial In-cidlnts. (lIa'aretz, An Egyptian-hid spokes_ B Dec) man said that four Israeli jet fighters penetratecl

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