Lebanon plans to file an urgent complaint with the United Nations against what it called Israel's "daily violations" of its airspace amid intensifying drone reconnaissance and mock raids around the country, the president's office said Tuesday.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter
President Michel Aoun called for a condemnation of Israel's "aggression and violations of Lebanon's sovereignty" and the UN resolution that brought about the cessation of hostilities between the two countries following their last conflict in 2006.
The two countries remain technically at war and Lebanon has repeatedly complained of Israel's violations of its airspace and waters.
In recent weeks, Israeli military jets have carried out several low-altitude flying flights over the capital and other major cities, causing jitters among civilians who are no strangers to conflict. Reconnaissance drones sometimes remain in Lebanese airspace for 24 hours at a time, a Lebanese military official said.
Israel rarely comments on such missions, but Israeli officials have said the overflights are necessary because Iranian-backed Shiite terrorist group Hezbollah is violating the 2006 UN resolution that bars it from building up its military capabilities and operating near the Israeli border.
Many such raids are often to carry out strikes in neighboring Syria, where Israel has been targeting Iranian assets and its attempts to smuggle weapons to Hezbollah.
Israel has expressed concern, and acted to thwart, increasing Iranian and Hezbollah presence near its borders, including a stockpile of precision-guided missiles.
Hezbollah's leader Hassan Nasrallah, in a year-end interview, said Israel's efforts to curb his group's ability to acquire those missiles have failed, adding that it now has twice as many as it had last year.
Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz visited a base in the Golan Heights on Tuesday.
"We continue to stand on guard on all of our borders. We have acted and we will continue to act against anyone who tries to challenge us from near or far," Gantz said.
The frequent Israeli flights over Lebanese airspace come at a time of heightened tension in the region in the final days of US President Donald Trump's administration.
Many fear retaliation for the US killing of Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani last year may come before Trump leaves office, or conflict erupting to scuttle efforts by Joe Biden's incoming administration to negotiate with Iran.
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
