Lebanese President: Israeli Airspace Breach an ‘Attack on our Sovereignty’

(UPI) — Lebanese president Michel Aoun said Israeli jets operating in Lebanese airspace amounts to an attack on his country’s sovereignty.

Saying during a cabinet meeting Thursday that he “will not accept any Israeli exploitation of our airspace,” Aoun expressed anger over reports that Israeli F-15 warplanes utilized Lebanese airspace to strike an air base in Syria’s Homs Province on Monday.

Russia and Syria said the Israeli military fired at least 20 Tomahawk cruise missiles that killed more than a dozen people. The Israeli military has neither confirmed or denied information on the strikes.

The Lebanese president added his country would condemn “any Israeli attack on any Arab state” and said he would file a complaint before the United Nations Security Council against Israel for the airspace violation.

“A political decision must be taken at the cabinet and a military decision at the Higher Defense Council shall these encroachments violations continue,” Aoun said.

Lebanese prime minister Saad Hariri also commented on regional tensions during the cabinet meeting, saying his government was “working to free Lebanon from any potential problems it might incur as a result of regional developments.”

Talal Arslan, the leader of the Lebanese Democratic Party, tweeted Thursday that the airspace violation was “unacceptable” and an “aggression” on Lebanon.