TEL AVIV (Mar. 20)
An armistice agreement between Lebanon and Israel was initialed at Ras el Nakura this evening, it was announced here. The formal signing of the pact will take place Wednesday morning in the Lebanese-controlled customs house in the “border town.
It is understood that the agreement restores the Palestine-Lebanese frontiers as set with the Palestine Mandate Government, leaving no Lebanese territory in Israeli hands. It is reported that an understanding concerning the Syrian force at Mishmar Hayarden–which can only be supplied through Lebanese territory–was reached, although there was no formal agreement on that point. An exchange of prisoners of war to scheduled to begin Thursday.
At the conclusion of the initialing ceremony, Gen. William Riley, military aide to U.N. mediator Ralph J. Bunche, declared that the successful conclusion of these negotiations marked an important advance in the direction of a permanent peace between the two nations.