UN urges Israel to end flights over Lebanon
Reuters, United Nations
The United Nations renewed a plea to Israel on Friday to stop violating Lebanese airspace with surveillance flights the Jewish state insists are needed to guard against arms smuggling from Syria. The United Nations says such flights, conducted regularly by Israeli warplanes for years, are a clear violation of the ceasefire resolution adopted by the UN Security Council in August to end the 34-day Israel-Hezbollah war. "The resolution is clear," UN chief spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. "We have asked them to cease these violations," Dujarric said, adding that strong UN protests were filed each time they occurred. The French Foreign Ministry said earlier on Friday that it hoped the United States, Israel's closest ally, would put pressure on Israel to end the flights after French peacekeepers this week nearly launched missiles at Israeli jets flying in an attack mode over their outpost.
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Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas lights a candle on the tombstone of late leader Yasser Arafat in the West Bank city of Ramallah marking his second death anniversary yesterday. PHOTO: AFP |
