The UN on Saturday renewed a request that Israel stop its surveillance flights over Lebanon. Israel’s response was that the flights are necessary in order to monitor violations of UN resolution 1701 by terror groups.
United Nations spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said “We have made strong protests to the Israelis regarding these violations. We have asked them to cease these actions which are in violation of resolution 1701.” The international community has indicated that the flights are a violation of the resolution.
An Israeli government official said the flights are necessary because of the failure of the international community to ensure the full implementation of UN resolution 1701.
"The Israeli flights are not combat missions, they are only intelligence gathering missions," the official said.”They are needed because there is no mechanism in place that can stop arms smuggling to Hizballah along the Syrian Lebanese border.” He added that the flights were also necessary because Hizballah was still armed in southern Lebanon and that the two kidnapped soldiers, Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, had not been released.