Israeli planes violate Lebanon airspace

Two Israeli warplanes have once again crossed over into Lebanese airspace in violation of a UN Security Council resolution.

The Israeli aircraft crossed into Lebanese airspace over the southern border village of Kfar Kila at 11 a.m. local time (0800 GMT) on Tuesday and conducted several unwarranted flights above southern Lebanon, as well as the capital Beirut, according to a statement released by the Lebanese military.

The fighters flew over the southern border town of Alma al-Shaab, at 13:00 p.m. local time (1000 GMT) and left Lebanese airspace.

On Monday, an Israeli reconnaissance aircraft violated Lebanon’s airspace and patrolled the skies above several areas in southern Lebanon, including the village of al-Nabi Shayth, located 57 km (35 miles) from Beirut. The remotely piloted plane carried out covert surveillance of Jouaya and Yahfoufa villages.

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 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 2006 Israeli war against Lebanon, calls on Israel to respect Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

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