For decades, almost daily official Lebanese news sources reported on Israeli aircraft violating the country's airspace, from the south and west toward the sea, and even from the east and the north. However, the news announced in Beirut on Dec. 4 was more significant than before.
The Lebanese army issued a statement at noon on Dec. 4, saying, “At 1 p.m. on Dec. 3, an Israeli reconnaissance plane violated Lebanon's airspace from above Rmeish [southern Lebanon] and circulated over the southern areas Riyak and Baalbek [central Bekaa Valley], before leaving Lebanon’s airspace today [Dec. 4] at 7:25 a.m. from above Kfarkela, and at noon from above Rmeish.”