Israel is obliged to withdraw from the northern part of the village of Ghajar, on the border between Lebanon and the Israeli-occupied portion of the Golan Heights, as well as surrounding areas, the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) says.
UNIFIL Commander Major General Luciano Portolano said in an interview on Wednesday that Israel must retreat from the Ghajar village as well as the areas adjacent to the Blue Line, in accordance with UN Security Council resolution 1701, the Naharnet reported.
The Blue Line is a border demarcation between occupied Palestinian territories and Lebanon determined by the UN.
Israel’s presence in the area violates resolution 1701, Portolano said, stressing that the matter is “nonnegotiable as the territory is Lebanese.”
“We have been firm in discussing the issue during all our bilateral and tripartite meetings with Israel,” Portolano said.
Resolution 1701, which brokered a ceasefire in the war of aggression Israel launched on Lebanon in 2006, calls on Tel Aviv to respect Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The resolution stresses that Israel should end violations of Lebanon's airspace, and respect the Blue Line.
The Lebanese government, resistance movement of Hezbollah and the UNIFIL, have repeatedly condemned Israel for violating UN Resolution 1701 and the Lebanese territorial integrity.
AR/NN/HRB