Consider this news item:
‘Israel has informed the United States that it is prepared to withdraw from the northern side of Ghajar village, the Israeli daily Haaretz reported on Monday. Describing Israel’s remarks as “a change in its policy for the past year and a half of not wanting to discuss the issue,” the paper quoted an unidentified “government source in [Occupied] Jerusalem [who] said the decision was made after the Lebanese government delivered written assurances that UNIFIL would be given security and civilian control over the northern part of the village, which is in Lebanese territory“‘
… and contrast it with this report of the actual reality on the ground:‘Sources on Wednesday told NOW Lebanon that Israel had intensified military activities in areas along its border with southern Lebanon, particularly in the western sector, including increasing patrols and a raising the personnel presence at positions along the border. Earlier on Wednesday, a security official said six Israeli jets flew over south Lebanon and broke the sound barrier twice over the port city of Sur on Wednesday. “Six Israeli warplanes flew all over southern Lebanon and the city of Sur at low altitude for more than an hour and broke the sound barrier twice over Sur,” the official told AFP. The overflight prompted scared shoppers to flee Sur’s main market, an AFP correspondent said. Residents also poured on to the streets nervously watching the skies, little more than two years after the summer 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah devastated much of southern Lebanon, the correspondent added.’
In Lebanon itself, meanwhile, a Hizbullah fighter last week mistakenly downed a helicopter of the Lebanese army, mistaking it for an Israeli one, thereby killing an officer and wounding two soldiers. Considering the Lebanese army owns a whopping total of 3 (three) helicopters, and Israeli aircraft are violating Lebanese airspace on a daily basis, this is not as far-fetched an explanation as it might sound… In any case, Hizbullah has owned up to its mistake and voluntarily handed over the 20-year old fighter to military police. Nevertheless, various parties in the country predictably continue to try and spin a lot out of the incident.
In the Middle of the East 