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Israeli drone flies over south Lebanon

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

The Israeli aircraft crossed into Lebanese airspace at 7:10 a.m. local time (0410 GMT) on Wednesday and conducted several unwarranted flights over areas in southern Lebanon, including Alma al-Shaab town, a statement released by the Lebanese military said Friday.

The remote-controlled drone left at 18:05 p.m. local time (1505 GMT) while flying over the village of al-Naqoura, located 91 km (57 miles) south of the capital Beirut.

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

Lebanon’s government, the Hezbollah resistance movement and the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, have repeatedly cited Israel’s air surveillance flights over Lebanon as a clear violation of UN resolution 1701 and the country’s sovereignty.

UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which brokered a ceasefire in the war Israel launched against Lebanon in the summer of 2006, calls on Israel to respect Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

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

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