UN officials said the French contingent of
peace-keeping forces in Lebanon is preparing anti-aircraft
batteries to fire against intruding Israel Air Force warplanes.
"The anti-aircraft unit of the [French] battalion took initial
preparatory steps to respond to these actions," United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon spokesman Milos
Strugar said.
UNIFIL has reported overflights by Israeli F-15 and F-16 fighter-jets in
November, Middle East Newsline reported. In one violation, Israel sent two Israeli reconnaissance RC12
aircraft near Tyre, the headquarters of the French battalion.
This was the first time UNIFIL, comprised of 9,000 peace-keepers, warned
of attacks on Israeli warplanes. On Nov. 13, France reported that its
contingent in Lebanon nearly fired surface-to-air missiles against Israeli
aircraft on Oct. 31.
Israel has acknowledged air operations in Lebanon. Israeli officials
said UNIFIL has failed to stop the flow of weapons from Syria to Hizbullah
strongholds in Lebanon.
Strugar said UNIFIL has reported increasing Israeli violations of
Lebanon's air space over the last week. He said 17 Israeli air violations
were recorded on Nov. 17, most of them over the area deployed by the French
battalion.
"They stipulate that in implementing their mandate, all UNIFIL troops
may exercise the inherent right of self-defense and take all necessary
action to protect UN personnel, facilities, installations and equipment,"
Strugar told Agence France-Presse.
Over the weekend, UNIFIL reported the capture of 17 Katyusha-class
rockets in Lebanon. A UN spokesman said the Lebanese Army was alerted.
Over the weekend, Lebanese media reported Israeli air operations and
mock attacks around the southern Lebanese towns of Jezzine, Nabatiya and
Tufah. There were no reports of injuries.
