sraeli POWs: A Major Issue ^ I !> [ t I i 'h \-
By YITZHAK 8HARGIL TEL AVIV (JTA)-An army officer disclMed this week that Israel has submitted the names of 150 of its soldier; presumed to be prisoners of-war to the International Red Cross for transmission to Egypt and Syria but that neither country has aclcnowledged the list so far.
The announcement by Gen. (Res.) Shmuel Eyal who deals with POW cases, was the first to mention a specific number of Israeli POWs. £yal laid that 350 of the men are presumed to be in Egyptian hands and 100 in Syria. In addition, Egypt holds 10 Israeli POWs, mostly
downed pilots, who were captured before the Aug. 1970 gease-fire, one of them in captivity since Dec. 1969. Eyal said that Israel now holds more than 7,000 POWs, most of them Egyptians and that the names and ranks of nearly 4,000 of them have al-
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ready been provided to the Red Cross. He said Israel submits POW lists' to tke. Red Cross twice dally and that it permitted Red Cross representatives to visit wounded POWs in Israeli hospitals on Oct. 11 and 13, and that on Oct. 19 the Red Cross was permitted to visit a POW camp and spent four hours talking to hundreds of prisoners. in contratt, neither Syria nor Egypt has permitted the Red Cross to visit Israeli POWs, not even the wounded. Syria has not submitted any POW lists Bud-Egypt submitted only 4!i names of which only 40 were identifiable. Eyal said that Israel has fully observed the provisions of
the Geneva Convention relating to POWs and is prepared for a total POW exchange. The Geneva Convention. requires combatants to announce the names of POWs, permit visits by Red Crbss representatives and exchange wounded prisoners. In addition to the Egyptians, Israel holds 354 Syrian POWs, 17 Iraqis and five Moroeeans. It was learned that the Egyptian prisoners include 350 officers, 30 of the rank of U, Col., qnd 10. full Colonels. It was also learned that some 40 Israeli POWs have been Identified from TV films and photography published in Arab and international newspapers and TV broadcasts.
Serving Council Bluffs, Des Moines, Lincoln, Omaha Vol. LIU—No. e
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OMAHA, NKB„ VHU NOV. 2, 197S
Tekoah Charges Egypt, Syria with Inhuman Conduct' Toward POWs UNITED NATIONS (JTA)IsraeU Ambaasador .Yosef Te-. koah accused the Egyptian and Syrian governments of "Inhuman conduct" with regard to Israeli prlsoneri of war in their hands and asked Secretary General Kurt Waldheim to give his "urgent attention to tlie fact that the Egyptians and Syrians are persisting In their violations of the Geneva Convention." The seriousness of these violations and the guilt of the governments concerned "are aggravated by the continuation of these breaches," Tekoah said
in a letter to the Secretary General. Tekoah cited a communique released in Geneva by the International Committee of the Red Cross which confirmed that since the outbreak of hostilities In the Middle East has iyen "insistent in obtaining lists of POWs" and visits to them by IRC representatives. The communique said that its representations "have been without any results in Syria while in Egypt the 48 names furnished some 10 days ago and a visit to a few of the wounded are only a first step wiiich has not been followed by any other since.'^^ the other band, the
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A BKWILOKREI) CHILD walks through the rubble of her home Iri' the town of Nahariyi, Israel, near the Lebanese border. The damage occurred when a Syrian Jet craiked in the center •f the town. One woman was Injured and several kuUdlngs were damaged.
Red Cross communique stated that "It has obtained satisfaction nom the Israeli authorities ... to this day," Tekoah noted In his letter. ' The Jsraeli envoy added that the "inhuman conduct of the Egyptian and Syrian governments on the question of POWs is a matter of utoiost gravity requiring most urgent efforts to bring about Egypt's and Syria's compliance with their international obligations." Tekoah requested that his letter be circulated as an official document of the^General Assembly and the SKurlty CouncU.
ISRAELI MOTHERS SEARCH through available by foreign film crews for pictures of their sons missing action. Egypt and Syria have not yet made complete lists ofPOWsavaUable.
\Vi;Sr BANK, KUKZ CANAL: Defense Minister Moshc Dayan and Maj. Gen. Arleh Sharon, who suffered a slight head wound, visited Israeli troops on the west side of the Suez Canal last week. Israeli offlcllils said Puyan not only latpoctrd the Israeli forces fighting behind Egyptian lines, but also "talked wltk Egyptian prisoners captured by the Israeli Task Force in Egyptian tcrrliery.
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