Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-12
.Israe|is Attack
-Four 0utposts,
Ki||55Syrians
Retaliation Is Aim
In Bottle on Shores
Of Seq Of GuIiIee


JERUSALEM, Dec. IL (R.-
Israeli troops attacked Syrian
outposts overlooking the Sea OF
Galilee during the night. kill
ing SIS Syrian soldiers for the loss
of four Israelis, officials said to-
day.
Israeli sources said 30 Syr-
ians were taken prisoner in the
Ifog-shrouded battle on the
northwest shores of the lake
where many events in the life
of Jesus Christ took place.
Twelve Israeli soldiers were
wounded.
The attackers occupied four
Syrian outposts. blew them up
and then withdrew. The action
was launched on an eight-mile
front last night to silence gun
positions Israel claimed fred on
fishing boats and an Israeli po-
lice launch yesterday. No one
was hurt in that incident.
Four-PrOnged Advance
Israeli military sources said
army units moved in a four
pronged advance aimed at four
Syrian positions along the east
ern bank Of the Sea Of Galilee.
The positions were in the Kursi
INaquart and Beth Habeq sectors
and in the sector where the Jor-
dan flows into the Sea Of Galilee.
The river leaves the sea again
to the south to continue its way
toward the Dead Sea.
The attacking Israeli units
were supported by two detach-
ments to block the approach Of
Syrian reinforcements.
Military SOURCES said the Syr-
ian opposition was heaviest in
the Jordan River sector.
United Nations truce observ-
Iers rushed to the area to inves-
Itigate at the first word of the
Israeli attack. A U. N. Spokes-
man said the situation in the
area was quiet nov.
Israel Claims Entire Sea
Israeli forces advanced
against the Syrian positions to
silence the batteries responsible
for the unprovoked attack and
secure the security Of Israeli
citizens engaged in their lawful
occupations" the Israeli Foreign
Ministry declared.
Israel claims her territory in
cludes the entire Sea of Galilee,
"a lake about Is miles long and
3 to Z miles wide. Syria holds
the nothern half of the lakes
eastern shore. a narrow strip
along the southern half is held
by Israel.
The Israeli attack took place
along this eight-mile northern
stretch. The spokesman said the
Syrians shelled Israels Elm Geb
settlement, in the southeastern
shore slip, but that there were
no casualties in the settlement.
An Israel Foreign Ministry
spokesman said:
quiet reigns on the Sea of
Galilee this morning. Israeli fish,
ermen set out TO cast their nets
as usual. The Syrian batteries
which for so long and so often
have attacked Galilee's peaceful
fishermen have been si!enced. II
the Syrians keep quiet, the Sea
Of Galilee will remain quiet"
Syrian Protest Expected
There was no immediate COM
ment from Damascus. the Syrian
capital. The government there
was expected to file a strong
protest with the U. N. Truce SUI
pervisory Commission - =.
Most serious incidents between
the Arabs and the Israelis in
recent months have been along
the Egyptian border in the south.
Premier David Ben-Gurion had
a 40-minute talk yesterday with
Maj. Gen. E. L.. M. Burns, the
Canadian chief of the truce COM
mission, on the plan Gen. Burns
and U. N. Secretary General Dag
Hammarskjold have advanced
for easing Israeli Egyptian ten
sion in the Ell Auja demilitarized
zone.
Also in the south the Israeli
army reported one Of its pa
trolls shot two "infiltrators" from
Jordan and wounded a third near
Elath, at the head of the Gulf
of Aqaba. A Jordan military
source claimed the victims were
Moslem pilgrims returning by
foot to homes in Morocco after
"a visit to the holy city of Mecca,
in Saudi Arabia