514. Editorial Note
On November 5, Hammarskjöld received responses from the Israeli, British, and French Governments to his messages of November 4 requesting a halt to military actions. Israel, in a letter dated November 4 (U.N. doc. A/3291), responded by asking certain clarifications concerning Egypt’s intentions, while Great Britain and France, in their separate but identical (mutatis mutandi) responses of November 5 (U.N. docs. A/3293 and A/3294, respectively) conditioned their acceptance of a cease-fire upon an Egyptian and Israeli acceptance of the interposition of a United Nations force between belligerents. The Anglo-French replies noted that it was “necessary to interpose an international force to prevent the continuance of hostilities between Egypt and Israel, to secure the speedy withdrawal of Israel forces, to take the necessary measures to remove obstructions to traffic through the Suez Canal, and to promote a settlement of the problems of the area.”
[Page 1011]Later on November 5, Hammarskjöld received additional messages from the Egyptian and Israeli Governments. Egypt indicated (U.N. doc. A/3295) its acceptance of General Assembly Resolution 1000 (ES–I), which provided for the establishment of a United Nations force, while Israel made clear (U.N. doc. A/3279) that its previous request of November 4 for certain clarifications did not affect its undertaking for a cease-fire which it had sent to the General Assembly on November 3 (see footnote 2, Document 494). Subsequently, Hammarskjöld addressed an aide-mémoire to the Governments of France and the United Kingdom (U.N. doc. A/3310), in which he asked whether the decision of the General Assembly to establish a United Nations command met the condition which they had set forth for a cessation of hostilities. Shortly thereafter in New York, Israeli Representative Eban forwarded to the Secretary-General the text of a cable from the Israeli Government which reads: “6 November 01.46. Inform Secretary-General immediately that Israel agrees unconditionally to cease-fire. Since this morning, 5 November, all fighting has ceased between Israel and Egyptian forces on land, sea and air and full quiet prevails.” (U.N. doc. A/3301)
Also on November 5, the Security Council met at 8 p.m. at the request of the Soviet Union, to consider the “noncompliance by the United Kingdom, France and Israel with the decision of the emergency special session of the General Assembly of the United Nations of 2 November 1956 and immediate steps to halt the aggression of the aforesaid States against Egypt.” At this meeting, the Soviet Representative presented a draft resolution, the text of which had been sent by Shepilov to the President of the Security Council earlier that day. (U.N. doc. S/3736; a summary is in Document 504) The Security Council, however, decided against inscription of the Soviet item by a vote of 3 in favor of inscription, 4 opposed, with 4 abstentions. The United States voted against inscription. (U.N. doc. S/PV.755) For text of Lodge’s remarks made during this session, see Department of State Bulletin, November 19, 1956, page 791.