A United Nations spokesman in southern Lebanon today renewed a call for Israel to withdraw from the northern part of the disputed border village of Ghajar, according to dpa. "Israel's withdrawal is a matter of high importance to us. We will work toward achieving that," Neeraj Singh was quoted as saying by the Lebanese National News Agency. The statement came in the wake of media reports that the Israeli security cabinet had approved on June 30 a plan to leave the border village. But UN, US and French officials have all claimed that they are not aware of any such plans. A Lebanese government source, speaking to the German Press Agency dpa on the condition of anonymity, also said that "neither (UN officials in Lebanon) nor the Lebanese government have been notified of a withdrawal plan so far." Lebanon considers the Israeli presence in Ghajar to be one of the unresolved issues in the aftermath of the 2006 war with Israel. The village was first seized by the Israelis in 1967, when the Syrian Golan Heights were captured. When Israel ended its 22-year occupation of southern Lebanon in May 2000, the northern part of Ghajar was handed back to Lebanon. But in the summer war of 2006 that pitted Israel against the Lebanese movement Hezbollah, Israeli troops again seized control of the northern part of the village. Israel has since refused to withdraw, citing security concerns. Singh noted that the UN Security Council resolution that ended the 2006 war calls for Israel to leave the area. "If a withdrawal takes place, tension (in southern Lebanon) will decrease," he said.
