ABSTRACT
The United Nations Truce Supervision Organization and its military observers would largely determine the rules of the armistice game. Their hold over Israel's destiny was therefore much more authoritative than had ever been imagined. The armistice regime provided a measure of stability that allowed Israel to consolidate its resources and build a nation. A local commanders' agreement was concluded on February 1, 1952, and for three months the complaints were handled by the local commanders. The friction with United Nations peacekeepers over Israeli retaliation for border infiltration, as at Beit Jolla, and encounters such as the barrel incident paled in comparison to the large-scale reprisal action at Qibya in the fall of 1953. On March 17, 1954, a bus carrying holiday travelers returning from Elath was ambushed at Scorpion Pass, located in the Negev about twelve miles from the border. Hammarskjold devoted much time to overcoming Israeli resistance to full participation in the Mixed Armistice Commission.
