UN to follow up Israel pull-out offer

The UN’s special co-ordinator for Lebanon said he plans to visit Israel next week with the UN commander in southern Lebanon to discuss Israel’s decision “in principle” to pull troops out of the northern half of a village that straddles the border.

Michael Williams welcomed the announcement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office that senior government ministers had approved a UN proposal to withdraw from northern Ghajar “in principle” but he noted that the decision still needs full Cabinet approval.