In this undated file picture taken from Israeli media, an Israeli F-16 fighter jet takes off en route to an exercise in Germany.
Lebanese caretaker Foreign Minister Charbel Wehbe has filed a complaint with the UN Security Council (UNSC) and UN Secretary-General António Guterres against the Israeli regimes repeated violations of the Arab countrys sovereignty.
The complaint, lodged through Permanent Representative of Lebanon to the United Nations Amal Mudallali on Tuesday, pointed to "the recurrent and dangerous airspace violations carried out over the past few days," describing them as "a flagrant violation of Security Council Resolution 1701."
"This requires the Security Council to condemn Israel for these violations and put an end to them immediately in order to preserve stability, security, and peace in the region," it said.
Moreover, caretaker Defense Minister Zeina Akar on Tuesday vehemently condemned the Israeli violations of Lebanese sovereignty.
"Since the beginning of last week, Lebanons airspace has witnessed intensive Israeli enemy overflights at low very altitudes, which constitute a blatant violation of the Lebanese sovereignty, and have caused panic among Lebanese citizens, especially children," she said in a statement.
Separately, the Lebanese Armed Forces command said at least eight air violations were recorded on Tuesday by Israeli warplanes, which carried out low-altitude flights over the south and Mount Lebanon,
It added, "The airspace violations are accompanied by sea violations. An Israeli gunboat violated Lebanese territorial waters off Ras al-Naqoura in two stages and for a maximum distance of about 240 meters."
The army command said "the issue of the violations will be followed up in coordination with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)."
UNIFIL spokesman Andrea Tenenti also said the Israeli militarys acts are in violation of the Security Council Resolution 1701 and the Lebanese sovereignty.
"We have once again called on the Israeli army command to cease the overflights. The continued violations increase fear among the local population and undermine our efforts to reduce tensions and establish a stable security environment in southern Lebanon," he noted.
"In this tense period in the region, UNIFILs efforts are to maintain a calm and stable situation along the Blue Line. To this end, UNIFIL strongly cautions the parties against any activities that could trigger incidents and endanger the cessation of hostilities between Lebanon and Israel," Tenenti said.
Lebanons government, the Hezbollah resistance movement and the UNIFIL have repeatedly condemned Israels overflights, saying they are in clear violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and the countrys sovereignty.
The resolution, which brokered a ceasefire in the war Israel launched against Lebanon in 2006, calls on Tel Aviv to respect Beiruts sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Tensions have been running high between Israel and Hezbollah since July 20 last year, when Tel Aviv killed Hezbollah member Ali Kamel Mohsen in an airstrike in Syria.
The Israeli military has placed its forces near the Lebanese and Syrian borders on high alert after Hezbollah promised retaliation.
Israeli forces shelled the Lebanese village of Habaria in late July to stop an alleged Hezbollah offensive, but the Lebanese movement dismissed the allegation, calling it the result of tension and confusion among Israeli forces.
LINK: https://www.ansarpress.com/english/21995
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