The United Nations top envoy to Lebanon on Tuesday said Israel must comply with a Security Council resolution and withdraw from Ghajar. "The Israelis have been in illegal occupation of the northern part of the village of Ghajar ever since the war of 2006," United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon Michael Williams said. "It is very clear from Resolution 1701 that they should withdraw." That resolution, which ended the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, obliges Israel to withdraw from north of Ghajar and its neighboring region, north of the Blue Line. The Blue Line, which is the line for Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000, now serves as the borderline of the two countries and runs through the middle of the al-Ghajar village. "We intend to redouble our efforts to try and seek their withdrawal as quickly as possible from Ghajar," Williams added. He was speaking after his first meeting with Lebanon's Foreign Minister Ali Shami. Describing it as a "very good meeting," Williams said he "informed the minister that the United Nations is very encouraged by Lebanon's political progress since the formation of a new government." --MORE
