Israeli drone buzzes over Lebanon skies

An Israeli reconnaissance aircraft has penetrated Lebanese airspace again and flown over parts of the country in violation of a UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution.

The Israeli aircraft crossed into Lebanese airspace at 17:45 p.m. local time (1445 GMT) on Tuesday and conducted several flights over Baalbek and eastern Lebanon, a statement released by the Lebanese military said.

Baalbek is located 86 km (53 miles) northeast of the Lebanese capital, Beirut.

Several hours later, the Israeli aircraft left Lebanese airspace, flying over the southern sector of the country before crossing the border.

Israel violates Lebanon’s airspace on an almost daily basis, claiming the flights serve surveillance purposes.

Lebanon’s government, the Hezbollah resistance movement and the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, have repeatedly objected to the flights as a clear violation of UN Resolution 1701 and the country’s sovereignty.

The UNSC Resolution 1701, which brokered a ceasefire in the 2006 war Israel launched against Lebanon, has called on Tel Aviv to respect Beirut’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

In 2009, Lebanon complained to the United Nations about Israeli aircraft violating the airspace over the south of the country.