Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erakat tendered his resignation Saturday amid deadlock in efforts to renew peace talks with Israel, a Palestinian official said. Erakat told AFP he was stepping down because of his responsibility for the disclosure of confidential documents on Al-Jazeera, shortly after his resignation was announced by senior Palestinian Liberation Organization Yasser Abed Rabbo.

Saudi Arabia proposed an Arab army should be deployed in Lebanon, with US air and naval cover, to stop Hizbullah after it seized control of parts of Beirut in 2008, according to leaked US diplomatic cables released by whistleblower site .