PARIS, 10 November 2006 — French Defense Minister Michele Alliot-Marie said Israeli flights over Lebanon nearly caused a “catastrophe” last month, when French peacekeeping troops were seconds away from firing on Israeli warplanes.
A squadron of F-15 fighter planes nose-dived over French positions in southern Lebanon during the Oct. 31 incident, Alliot-Marie told lawmakers at France’s lower house of Parliament on Wednesday night.
The planes were “clearly in attack position,” she said, in comments broadcast on RTL radio yesterday.
French troops responded by readying an anti-aircraft missile, and were seconds away from firing on the warplanes, she said.
Israeli defense officials did not immediately return phone calls seeking comment.
The fighter jets roared over Hezbollah strongholds in mock raids that were Israel’s strongest show of force over Lebanon since the end of its summer war with the guerrilla group.
“Our troops barely avoided a catastrophe,” Alliot-Marie said. “Under these circumstances, our troops find themselves in a position where they have to fire in legitimate self defense.”
The radio report did not say if Alliot-Marie explained why the French troops decided not to fire, and Israeli defense officials were not immediately available for comment.
French officials have regularly complained that Israel’s overflights of Lebanon are counter to UN Security Council resolution 1701, which included the cease-fire that brought an end to 34 days of fighting between Israel and Lebanese Hezbollah guerrillas on Aug. 14.
The resolution calls for both sides to respect the UN boundary, known as the Blue Line, drawn after Israel ended its 18-year occupation of southern Lebanon in 2000.
The UN peacekeeping chief in Lebanon, Maj. Gen. Alain Pelligrini of France, said last month that the flyovers violated the cease-fire resolution and warned that force might be used to stop the incursions.
Israel contends the flights must continue because arms are still smuggled to Hezbollah, the group has armed personnel in south Lebanon, and the two soldiers whose capture by the guerrillas sparked the Israeli offensive have not been released.
