A Cessna plane of the Lebanese Army. Photo taken from the army's website.
On April 2, a Lebanese Army Cessna reconnaissance aircraft was seen flying in circles over several villages in southern Lebanon for over an hour — a rare and symbolic return of Lebanese military aviation to a region restricted by Israel.Although flyovers might normally go unnoticed, this marked a near-historic moment. Since 1978, the year Israel invaded Lebanon during the Civil War, the Israeli military has prohibited Lebanese military or civilian aircraft from flying over the South.While a fragile cease-fire has been in place since Nov. 27, 2024, following 13 months of conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, the Lebanese state under President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam appears increasingly intent on reestablishing its presence in the South — a move reportedly encouraged by international partners and seen as part of a...
On April 2, a Lebanese Army Cessna reconnaissance aircraft was seen flying in circles over several villages in southern Lebanon for over an hour — a rare and symbolic return of Lebanese military aviation to a region restricted by Israel.Although flyovers might normally go unnoticed, this marked a near-historic moment. Since 1978, the year Israel invaded Lebanon during the Civil War, the Israeli military has prohibited Lebanese military or civilian aircraft from flying over the South.While a fragile cease-fire has been in place since Nov. 27, 2024, following 13 months of conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, the Lebanese state under President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam appears increasingly intent on reestablishing its presence in the South — a move reportedly encouraged by international partners and seen as part of...
