United Nations asks Israel to stop violations of Lebanon airspace

The United Nations on Tuesday called on Israel to stop its daily air violations of Lebanese airspace, Yasmina Bouzian, spokeswoman of the UN Interim Force in southern Lebanon said Tuesday. "We have protested to Israel this issue and we expect them to stop because it is a violation of UN resolution 1701 ... and will eventually increase the tension in the area," she said. Israeli warplanes have carried out intensive overflights over southern Lebanon in the past ten days. The Lebanese army on October 25 confronted two Israeli jets flying at low altitude over southern Lebanon. Israeli warplanes frequently fly over Lebanese airspace in what Israel says are reconnaissance missions. Israeli overflights have been a constant source of tension between the two countries. Before the July 12, 2006 Israeli war on Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite group used to open fire on Israeli planes, with shrapnel from the anti-aircraft fire falling on Israeli communities across the border, causing some casualties. The deployment of about 15,000 Lebanese troops in the south along with some 13,000 UN peacekeepers in accordance of UN Security Council resolution 1701, which also put into effect a ceasefire and ended 33- days of Israeli war in Lebanon. The UN ceasefire has not stopped the flyovers despite that the UN has described them as a violation of Lebanese sovereignty.