“Lebanon calls on the international community to prevent the continuation of Israel’s [acts of] aggression [against Lebanon] and violations of Lebanon’s sovereignty through air, sea and land by Israel,” Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil said in an address to the 17th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) foreign ministerial conference in the Algerian capital of Algiers on Wednesday.

Israel violates Lebanon’s airspace on an almost daily basis, claiming the flights serve surveillance purposes.

Lebanon’s resistance movement, Hezbollah, the government, and the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) have repeatedly condemned the Israeli over-flights, saying they are in clear violation of UN Resolution 1701 and the Lebanese sovereignty.

The UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which brokered a ceasefire in the war Israel launched on Lebanon in 2006, calls on Tel Aviv to respect Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The Lebanese foreign minister further noted that there would be no peace without justice, stressing that no justice would prevail under the shadow of aggression and occupation.

“The policy of the present government of Lebanon is neutrality in regional and international conflicts, but this policy does not include resistance against occupation and fighting terrorism,” he added.

He further noted that the Lebanese government needs international support to equip its army and to fight terrorism, saying, “Lebanon relies on its power to free its occupied parts such as Shebba Farms, Kfar Shouba Hills and al-Ghajar village.”

Bassil also extended his gratitude to Iran for the Islamic republic’s efforts for the NAM, particularly during its presidency of the movement.

The 17th NAM foreign ministerial conference kicked off in Algiers on Monday and will last until Thursday.

NTJ/SHI