UNIFIL Protests Israeli Military Flights over Lebanon

The United Nations has called on Israel to halt increased military overflights in Lebanon's airspace amid heightened tensions after air raids on targets in Syria, a U.N. spokesman said Tuesday.

U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky said that the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon, UNIFIL, had protested after recording a surge in Israeli flights over Lebanon.

UNIFIL "says that in the course of the past week it has observed a higher number of Israeli air violations over Lebanese airspace," Nesirky told a briefing.

He added that the overflights are a "violation of Lebanese sovereignty and of Security Council resolution 1701."

"We are aware of the concerns raised by the Lebanese government in this regard. The U.N. interim force has lodged firm protests with the Israeli Defence Force on this matter asking them to cease the overflights," Nesirky said.

Syria's government said on Sunday that Israel targeted three military sites near Damascus, while a senior Israeli source said the attacks hit weapons destined for Hizbullah. The attacks have sparked fears that Hizbullah could hit back from Lebanon.