Aoun, Other Lebanese Officials Condemn Israeli Drone Incident
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Lebanese President Michel Aoun said Sunday that an Israeli drone that exploded over Beirut’s southern suburbs overnight was “blatant aggression against Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity."
Aoun tweeted a condemnation of the incident, calling it “another chapter in the continuing violations of (United Nations) Security Council Resolution 1701,” which called for a ceasefire to the 2006 war, Reuters reported.
At around 2:30 in the morning in the Moawwad neighborhood south of Beirut, an Israeli drone exploded, and another went down, severely damaging Hezbollah's media offices, the Lebanese army reported.
An army force was sent to the area immediately and closed off where the drones had fallen. Army Intelligence arrived to the area Sunday morning to begin investigations.
In the hours that followed, Prime Minister Saad Hariri issued a statement calling the drones incident “an open assault on Lebanese sovereignty and a clear violation of resolution 1701."
“The new aggression, which was accompanied by (Israeli) reconnaissance over Beirut and its suburbs, is a threat to regional stability and an attempt to push things into more tensions,” he said.
Hariri added that he will discuss with Aoun and Speaker Nabih Berri the measures the Lebanese government will take to respond.
Interior Minister Raya El Hassan called the incident a “flagrant violation” of Resolution 1701, which requires the government to rally “to maintain security and stability ... in the interest of Lebanon and the Lebanese.”
Former President Michel Sleiman tweeted, “Is there a Lebanese defense strategy (against) Israel's violation of Lebanese sovereignty? The developments will make the defense strategy a pressing need to (help with) war and peace decisions."
Former MP Amal Abou Zeid said the violation makes clear Israel’s intentions toward Lebanon, adding that the incident calls for a united front in “defending the sovereignty of Lebanese territories.”
