An observation tower of United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) near the Israeli military base of Har Dov. (Photo by AFP)

Beirut, February 14 (RHC)-- The Lebanese army has called on the United Nations to act urgently to end the Israeli regime’s repeated violations of the Arab country’s sovereignty and airspace to carry out airstrikes in neighboring Syria.

During a meeting between Head of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) Major General Stefano Del Col and a Lebanese army delegation headed by Brigadier General Haseeb Abdo at the UN headquarters in Ras Naqoura in southern Lebanon, the Lebanese side asked the world body to pressure Israel to stop its hostile practices, especially the use of Lebanon’s airspace to bomb Syrian lands and its continued violations of Lebanese sovereignty by land, sea and air.

The Lebanese army delegation warned of dangerous consequences if Israeli warplanes continue to penetrate into the country’s airspace.   Israeli fighter jets and gunboats have violated the Lebanese airspace and territorial waters in flagrant violation of a UN Security Council resolution.
It also reaffirmed Beirut’s commitment to international resolutions, especially Security Council Resolution 1701 which ended the 33-day-long Israeli military onslaught on the country in the summer of 2006.

The Lebanese army then stressed the need for Israel to withdraw from all occupied Lebanese territories, including the area adjacent to the northern part of the Blue Line, Shebaa Farms as well as Kfarchouba and Ghajar villages.

Israel violates Lebanon's airspace and territorial waters on an almost daily basis, claiming the flights and incursions serve surveillance purposes.  Lebanon’s government, Hezbollah and the UNIFIL have repeatedly condemned Israel’s overflights, saying they are in clear violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and the country’s sovereignty.