Mansour Asks Lebanon's U.N. Ambassador to File Complaint over Israeli Overflights

Caretaker Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour asked Lebanon's ambassador to the U.N. late Saturday to file an “urgent” complaint with the Security Council over Israel's violations of Lebanese airspace.

A statement said that Mansour asked Nawwaf Salam to submit the complaint against Israel “over its flagrant violation of Lebanese sovereignty and related international resolutions mainly resolution 1701.”

Earlier, Mansour denounced the Israeli overflights.

“These violations will not change Israel's violent nature that we are used to,” he said.

He called on the international community to assume its responsibilities and force Israel to respect resolution 1701.

“These violations will increase the tension and escalate the situation,” the FM said.

His remarks came as President Michel Suleiman also urged the international community on Friday to pressure Israel to stop violating Lebanese airspace.

The U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon had commented on these incidents, saying that it does not approve of Israel's violations of Lebanon's airspace and noting that UNIFIL will report to the Security Council on these violations.

There has been increased activity by Israeli warplanes over Lebanon in the past week, and particularly in recent hours.