On July 27, 1955, an aircraft belonging to El Al Israel Airlines Ltd., making a scheduled commercial flight between Vienna and Lydda (Israel), penetrated over Bulgarian territory without previous authorization and was shot down by Bulgarian military aircraft. All the crew and the fifty-one passengers were killed. The ensuing diplomatic correspondence and negotiations producing no satisfactory results, the Government of Israel decided to submit the dispute to the International Court of Justice. Proceedings were instituted against Bulgaria by Application of October 16, 1957.