Israeli fighter jets sweep over Shebaa Farms

JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Israeli warplanes flew over the disputed Shebaa Farms region along the Israel-Lebanon border Monday for the first time in more than four weeks, an Israeli military spokesman said.

Israel Defense Forces said the air force was carrying out military exercises.

At the end of June, Israeli Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer gave the United Nations assurances that flights over Lebanon would be immediately suspended, the United Nations said.

Announcing the decision last month, U.N. Special Representative Staffan De Mistura said it was a "definite Israeli commitment" to stop further violations by Israeli aircraft of the United Nations' so-called "blue line" drawn last year after Israel withdrew its troops from south Lebanon.

The United Nations said it had been the first time Israel's military authorities had given such assurances to stop overflights.

The Israeli decision last month followed weeks of mounting pressure on Israel by the international community.

Israeli forces withdrew from southern Lebanon last year but remain in the Golan Heights and Shebaa Farms, which Israel captured from Syria during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and which it says will only be discussed in future talks with Syria. Lebanon and Syria, however, say Shebaa Farms should be returned to Lebanon.