Israeli warplanes swooped low over southern Lebanon in defiance of a United Nations ceasefire resolution, Lebanese police said Tuesday. Six aircraft violated Lebanese airspace throughout Tuesday by swooping low over the port cities of Sidon and Tyre, causing sonic booms as well as panic among residents, police said. The planes also flew over the Bint Jbeil region, a stronghold of the militant Hezbollah group, they said.
Israeli warplanes have been violating Lebanese airspace on a near- daily basis in the past two weeks, but on Tuesday the aircraft were seen flying lower than usual.
Israel has drawn intense international criticism by continuing overflights after UN Resolution 1701 was adopted and a ceasefire was implemented on August 14, 2006, ending 33-days of Israeli war against Hezbollah. The UN says such overflights undermine the credibility of UN peacekeepers who are monitoring a fragile ceasefire in southern Lebanon.