Mr. Alan Lee Williamsasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a further statement about the situation in the Middle East, so far as British policy and interests are concerned.
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§ Mr. Luard:The Security Council is considering complaints by the Lebanon and Israel about hostilities in the border region between those two countries. On 12th May, the Council unanimously adopted the following Resolution:
The Security Council demands the immediate withdrawal of all Israeli armed forces from Lebanese territory.My right hon. Friend undertook to give the House further information on the subject first raised by my right hon. Friend the Member for Easington (Mr. Shinwell) on 30th April. On the basis of all the information available to us, we believe that combat-ready aircraft manned by Soviet pilots are now operating over certain areas of the United Arab Republic.
We shall continue to do all in our power to help bring about a comprehensive political settlement and to promote measures which might tend to reduce the prevailing level of hostilities in the region.— [Vol. 800, c. 1460–1.]