UNIFIL hands Israel proposal for withdrawal from Ghajar
“We are hopeful there will be an understanding”
Senior officials from the Lebanese Armed Forces, the Israeli army and UN peacekeeping force UNIFIL met Wednesday for a "working meeting," UNIFIL Spokesperson Yasmina Bouziane confirmed.
The early morning talks at UNIFIL”s headquarters in Naqqoura centered on the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, especially regarding the demarcation of the UN-designated Blue Line and an Israeli withdrawal from the border village of Ghajar, Bouziane told The Daily Star.
The resolution, among other things, brought an end to a devastating 34-day war between Israel and Hizbullah in July-August 2006, and calls for total respect for Lebanon”s territorial sovereignty.
UNIFIL have been working on a withdrawal from Ghajar since 2006. "UNIFIL presented a proposal to facilitate the withdrawal of the [Israeli army] from the northern side of Ghajar," Bouziane said.
"We are hopeful there will be an understanding on the proposal," she added, saying the Lebanese authorities had indicated their approval of it.
Israel occupied Ghajar in 1967 when it captured the Syrian Golan Heights. It withdrew from the Lebanese side of the village, which straddles the border with Syria, when it pulled out of South Lebanon in 2000, but re-occupied it in July 2006. Israel has continued to occupy the Lebanese side of the village despite a December 2006 cabinet decision to surrender it to UNIFIL.
Tel Aviv violated the Lebanese border earlier last week when it erected an observation post and a military post on the outskirts of the Kfar Shouba Hills, prompting the Lebanese army to deploy patrol units in the area."In clear violation of a restricted area of Lebanese territory, and in an attempt to impose a new reality on the ground, the Israeli enemy on Wednesday set up an observation post at the edge of Kfar Shouba and a military position overlooking Baathaeel pond," said Lebanon”s Army Command-Directorate of Orientation last Friday, calling it a violation of the Blue Line border designated in 2000.
UNIFIL Spokesperson Yasmina Bouziane said the Kfar Shouba Hills fell outside of the peacekeeping force”s geographical mandate. "UNIFIL”s mandate and the authority given to it by the Security Council are strictly limited to its area of operations, which is defined as the area between the Litani River and the line of withdrawal," Bouziane said, reiterating comments made on Friday. "The area where the … [Israeli military] activities are taking place is located South of the line of withdrawal and outside UNIFIL”s area of operations."
UNIFIL has nevertheless been in contact with both Israel and Lebanon since the incident to prevent an escalation, said Bouziane. "The parties responded with the utmost restraint and took steps in accordance with their obligation to ensure full respect of the line of withdrawal as identified by the UN in 2000," she added.
The meeting came as United Press International reported Israeli Air Force Commander Major General Ido Nehushtan as saying on Tuesday that the Israeli army was keeping a close watch on Syria and Hizbullah in light of reports Damascus had purchased anti-aircraft missiles from Russia and Hizbullah”s continuing armament. Israel”s air force "is working on a wide range of missions, both short and long distance, and will remain prepared," Nehushtan said in occupied Jerusalem.
Tensions between Lebanon and neighboring Israel have heightened after Lebanon”s intelligence services uncovered several spy cells working for Tel Aviv. At least 32 people have been detained in Lebanon on suspicion of espionage, and around half of them have been formally charged, including two army officers. Israel has so far kept silent over the arrests.