63. Telegram From the Consulate General at Jerusalem to the Department of State1
263. According to Hommel, Israel and Egyptian forces engaged in firefight yesterday between 4:30–6:00 p.m. in vicinity Nahal Oz at kilo 95, on Gaza strip DL.E–IMAC meeting scheduled to discuss previous incidents at kilo 95MAC house had to be postponed as Egyptian positions at kilo 95 were under heavy mortar fire from Israel positions. Two Egyptian dead and two wounded. Wounded not yet seen by observers. Israelis allege two Israelis dead and 16 [Page 134] wounded, 4 seriously. Egyptians allege penetration of Gaza strip by Israelis.UN observer was at kilo 95 when Israel mortar fire commenced.
Re my telegram 2622 Ely, assistant to Hommel, reports five Israel casualties on April 2 as result mining of track near Gaza DL. This was fourth mining incident in week and sixth of recent date.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 674.84A/4–455. Confidential;Niact. Received at 7:14 a.m. Repeated priority to Tel Aviv and Cairo, and to Amman, Damascus, Beirut, London, and Paris.↩
- The consulate general in Jerusalem, in telegram 262, April 2, informed the Department that Egyptian and Israeli forces earlier in the day had exchanged fire at a point south of the city of Gaza, where Wadi Gaza crossed the demarcation line, and that another mining incident had occurred when an Israeli vehicle on patrol in the vicinity of the Gaza Strip had hit a mine, (ibid., 674.84A/4–255)↩