UNITED NATIONS: Dr Gunnar Jarring, the UN Middle East mediator, conferred separately yesterday [Aug 4] with Arab and Israeli delegates in hopes of obtaining the earliest possible implementation of a cease-fire. Dr Jarring is expected to arrive in Israel next week in his tour of the three countries Israel, Egypt and Jordan that they have accepted the Rogers plan, according to Press reports in Tel Aviv.

Diplomatic sources here said they believed that Egypt, Jordan and Israel would proclaim before the end of this week the start of the 90-day cease-fire called for in American peace proposals accepted by the parties. The sources also said there was a good chance that indirect peace negotiations under Dr Jarring’s auspices would begin by mid-August.

Secretary-General U Thant, meanwhile, cautioned against “over-optimism” about the out- come of the peace initiative. In a statement to correspondents, he said he felt there was “a real chance to make important advances,” but that in the current situation there was “a tendency for some to expect too much too soon”.

A State Department spokesman would not hazard a guess when the proposed ceasefire could go into effect. US officials said no date has been proposed for the ceasefire. They hoped it could start within a week.

Published in Dawn, August 6th, 2020