Airliner lands in Beirut after Israeli blockade lifted

A Lebanese Middle East airplane landed at Rafik Hariri International airport on Thursday, marking the lifting of an Israeli air blockade against Lebanon, airport sources said.

The commercial flight from Paris carrying 150 passengers touched down at 6:11 p.m. (1511 GMT), 11 minutes after the blockade was set to be lifted, according to the sources.

Before its landing, the flight circled over downtown Beirut, declaring the lifting of Israeli blockade, according to Lebanese National News Agency.

Israel said Thursday it would lift an eight-week-old air blockade of Lebanon at 1500 GMT, but kept its naval blockade in place until international forces can take over.

The only two companies which have since the blockade been authorized to operate commercial flights to Beirut, via Amman, are Lebanese Middle East Airlines and Royal Jordanian.

On Monday, a Qatar Airways flight landed in Rafik Hariri International airport without stopover in Amman.

The 34-day conflict between Israel and Lebanon's Shiite group Hezbollah destroyed large sections of Lebanon's infrastructure, including the only international airport in Lebanon, but the damaged runways at the airport have been repaired.

Israel also confirmed the end of the aerial blockade on Lebanon on Thursday, but said that the planned end to a siege on sea ports has been postponed for 48 hours.

In order to prevent the Lebanese guerrilla group Hezbollah from rearming, Israel imposed the air, land and sea blockade shortly after the 34-day war against Hezbollah erupted on July 12.

The blockade is being maintained despite UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which calls for an end to it.

Source: Xinhua