12 Israeli Air Force jets violate Lebanon airspace

 

12 Israeli warplanes violated Lebanese airspace on Monday, flying at will over Beirut and elsewhere in the country, the Lebanese army said.

An army statement said that “12 enemy Israeli warplanes” violated Lebanese airspace before noon, four flying over the Mediterranean off the coastal city of Byblos in the north and then headed toward the eastern province of Hermel.

 

Eight other Israeli warplanes reportedly flew over the southern town of Rmeish, then headed north to Beirut, the Chouf mountains, southeast of the capital, and Hermel before heading back to the “occupied territories (meaning Israel)” the statement said. The Israeli forays lasted about an hour.

 

There were no reports about any ground fire directed against the Israeli jets . The over-flights have drawn groundfire from Lebanese troops on at least two occasions since a UN-brokered cease-fire concluded the Lebanon War between Israel and Hezbollah in August 2006.

 

Lebanon and the UN peacekeepers have complained in the past about the Israeli overflights which are considered blatant violations of the UN resolution 1701.