Beirut - Lebanese and Israeli army representatives met
Wednesday in the presence of UN under secretary-general for
peacekeeping operations Alain Le Roy to discuss the issue of the
Israeli withdrawal from Ghajjar in southern Lebanon.
According to a Lebanese security source, the conferees focused on
Israeli press reports which indicated that the Jewish state is
planning to withdraw from the Lebanese village of Ghajjar 'very
soon.'
The source failed to give details of the meeting but said 'the
issue of Ghajjar was on top on the agenda.'
According to Lebanese press reports the Israeli withdrawal from
Ghajjar will take place in the nest few days.
The reports indicated that the pullout could take place at the end
of a visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Washington
scheduled May 17.
According to a Lebanese government source, the Italian contingent
working with the United Nations interim force in southern Lebanon
(UNIFIL) might take control of Ghajjar once Israel withdraws from the
village.
Since its 33-day attack on Lebanon in 2006, Israel has maintained
a military presence in the northern part of Ghajjar, which lies on
Lebanese soil, and built a security fence to prevent members of the
militant Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah from infiltrating the
village.
UNIFIL, which is overseeing a fragile ceasefire between Lebanon
and Israel, last year submitted a proposal to facilitate Israel's
withdrawal from part of Ghajjar.
The issue of Ghajjar came into the limelight after Israeli press
reports over the weekend said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu would announce a troop withdrawal from the village this
week.
Half of Ghajjar is on the Lebanese side of the 'blue line' which
the United Nations drew after Israel evacuated southern Lebanon in
June of 2000. Israel annexed Ghajjar in 1981 along with the occupied
Golan Heights in a move that has not won international recognition.
According to UN reports, the northern part of the village lies on
Lebanese soil while the rest is part of occupied Syrian territory.
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