A Lebanese Air Force aircraft, a Cessna type. (Credit: NNA)
BEIRUT — A Lebanese Air Force (LAF) Cessna aircraft flew over southern Lebanon for the first time on Wednesday. According to the state-run National News Agency, the combat plane was in the air for over an hour, flying over the southern regions of Zawtar al-Sharqiyah, Zawtar al-Gharbiyah, Yohmor, Jibsheet, Dweir, Mfeidoun, Harouf and the outskirts of Qaaqaaiyet al-Jisr, all located in the Nabatieh district.
L'Orient Today reached out to the Lebanese Army for comment, but no response was provided.
Cessna, an American brand of general aviation aircraft, is primarily used for surveillance, reconnaissance and light transport missions. These small, versatile planes are known for their ability to operate in a variety of environments, including remote and difficult-to-reach areas.
The U.S. gave the Lebanese Army a Cessna aircraft back in 2016, which, at the time, was the third such aircraft in the LAF's arsenal. The aircraft was delivered as part of a "total package: that included maintenance support and training, with a combined value of approximately $30 million, according to Annahar.
A cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah has been in place since Nov. 27. Since then, Israel has killed over 117 people, razed villages to the ground, and regularly violates Lebanese airspace. The cease-fire outlines the withdrawal of both Israel and Hezbollah from the area between the Blue Line and the Litani River, stipulating that the Lebanese Army and UNIFIL will be the only armed forces in the South.
On Wednesday, Israeli soldiers, who continue to occupy Lebanese land, targeted villages in the Marjayoun district with machine gun fire from their position at al-Assi. One person was injured in Odaisseh and another on the road between Odaisseh and Kfar Kila. On Tuesday, an Israeli drone struck a building in Yaroun and Israeli tanks fired on the outskirts of Shebaa, in Hasbaya district.
Flurry of meetings ahead of US envoy's arrival
Lebanon is intensifying efforts to enforce the truce and secure Israel's complete withdrawal ahead of a visit by American envoy Morgan Ortagus, who is expected in Beirut on Friday. Israel continues to attack on the basis of claims that Hezbollah continues to be operational.
On Wednesday, Maronite patriarch Bechara Rai went to the presidential palace in Baabda to express his support for President Joseph Aoun. During the meeting, he reiterated the importance of the Lebanese state having a monopoly on arms, telling Aoun he considers it “inconceivable to continue with two armies and two arsenals” in Lebanon, referring to Hezbollah’s military wing.
On the same day, Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri received Prime Minister Nawaf Salam at Ain al-Tineh to discuss Israel’s continuing violations of the cease-fire agreement and its aggressions against Lebanon.
Defense Minister Michel Menassa called on “the guarantors of the agreement," referring to a cease-fire monitoring committee made up of American, French, Lebanese, Israeli and UNIFIL representatives, "to dissuade Israel from continuing its violations and aggressions against Lebanese sovereignty.”
Menassa met with several ambassadors, including those from the Netherlands, France, and Russia, while Lebanese Army chief Rodolphe Haykal met with the cease-fire monitoring committee's French representative Brigadier General Guillaume Ponchin.
Israel escalated its attacks last week after two instances of unclaimed rocket fire launched from southern Lebanon on Israeli border towns. Since then, Beirut’s southern suburb has been hit twice, raising fears of a complete breakdown of the cease-fire. On Saturday, General Security announced the arrest of “several suspects” in connection with the rocket firing, which Hezbollah has firmly denied any involvement in.
Complaint from the Higher Shiite Council
The Higher Shiite Islamic Council, represented by its lawyer, Hezbollah Deputy Hassan Fadlallah, filed a formal complaint with the Public Prosecution Office against anyone identified as being involved in the rocket launches from the South during the investigation, whether as a perpetrator, partner, intermediary or instigator. The complaint also targeted anyone who "spreads sectarian violence and welcomes such attacks."
“This complaint targets anyone involved in promoting incendiary rhetoric towards the enemy, which destabilizes internal security, incites sectarian conflicts, and weakens national unity,” a press release from the council reads. “Special attention must be given to Lebanese who rejoice at the threat of an Israeli attack on Beirut. Such behavior shows an alarming disregard for the security and livelihoods of their fellow citizens and is considered a serious crime that undermines civil peace and encourages sectarian violence.”
The council requested that the complaint be promptly forwarded to the security forces so that an in-depth investigation into the rocket fires and those involved in spreading dangerous rhetoric can be conducted.
Al-Jamaa al-Islamiya denied any information about arrests within the ranks of the Dawn Forces, the party’s armed branch, in the rocket fire case, and denied, in the statement, "any responsibility" for the attacks, emphasizing that it “respects the cease-fire reached by the Lebanese government.”