Israeli drones, warplanes continue to violate Lebanon’s sovereign airspace
- Daily Star, Tuesday, August 28, 2007
- Photo: Masser. A bombing by Israel in the Bekaa valley. Lebanon, July 2006
BEIRUT: Israeli surveillance drones cut through Lebanese skies on Monday and hovered above Southern as well as Bekaa regions. The Lebanese Army reported that an Israeli surveillance drone soared above the Southern village of Alma al-Shaab at 9:30 a.m. Monday and headed north toward the Bekaa regions of Riyaq and Baalbek. The plane left Lebanese skies at around 4 p.m.
Meanwhile, the National News Agency’s correspondent in the South reported that Israeli warplanes flew over the Southern towns of Nabatieh, Jezzine, Marjayoun and Khiam at around 10 a.m. Monday.
The UN Security Council approved Friday a draft resolution to extend the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) which expires on August 31, for one additional year. The UN peacekeeping force was first deployed in South Lebanon in 1978. Following last year’s summer war the force was boosted to encompass 13,500 troops along with 1,000 civilian employees, compared to only 2,000 troops before 2006.
While the resolution appealed “to all parties concerned” to “respect the cessation of hostilities and the Blue Line in its entirety,” and emphasized the need for “greater progress” in this regard, the resolution did not clearly condemn Israel’s daily violations of Lebanon’s land and airspace.
