ISRAEL-SYRIA CLASHES

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28552, 3 April 1958, Page 13

ISRAEL-SYRIA CLASHES

Survey By U.N. Observers (Rec. 9 p.m.) HULATA (Israel), April 2. Teams ot United Nations military observers are today continuing their survey in the disputed Huleh Valley area, the scene ol the recent Syrian-Israeli bordei incidents. It was the work of these teams yesterday which secured a temporary respite in the fighting. For the time being, the Israelis have agreed to await the completion of this United Nations task before continuing with their canal digging work, which set off the two-day artillery duel across the waters of the rich Huleh Valley The dispute. which has threatened the uneasy truce in this area, stems from conflicting claims to the ownership of a narrow strip of land. The Israelis claim that a small drainage canal, which they had begun to dig, lies entirely within lands reclaimed by their Hulen reclamation project, a few yards west of the demilitarised zone and parallel to this zone's boundary. The Syrians counter-claim that the canal penetrates into the demilitarised zone where some of the land is owned by Arabs.