PARIS - French Defense Minister Michele Alliot-Marie said Israeli flights over Lebanon nearly caused a "catastrophe" last week, when French peacekeeping troops were seconds away from firing on the warplanes.

The French government yesterday demanded an end to the mock raids. Israel reiterated that the flights were needed to monitor Lebanese compliance with UN demands.

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The incident took place on October 31, when Israeli F-15 fighter planes nose-dived over French peacekeepers' positions in southern Lebanon, Alliot-Marie told lawmakers at France's lower house of parliament on Wednesday night.

The planes were "in attack position," spokesman for the chief of staff, Capt. Christophe Prazuck, told reporters yesterday. French troops responded by readying an anti-aircraft missile, and were seconds away from firing on the warplanes, he said.

Prazuck said only: "Thanks to the sangfroid of French soldiers, we avoided a catastrophe."

"Our troops barely avoided a catastrophe," Alliot-Marie said, according to the ministry. "Under these circumstances, our troops find themselves in a position where they have to fire in legitimate self defense."

French Defense Ministry officials would not elaborate on why the French troops decided not to fire, nor explain why they waited eight days to announce the incident.

The mock raids by warplanes last week over Beirut and other parts of Lebanon were Israel's strongest show of force since the end of its 34-day war with Hezbollah. UNIFIL, the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon that is currently led by the French, reported 14 Israeli air violations on October 31, including three over the headquarters of the French battalion in Froun.

French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy summoned the Israeli ambassador yesterday "to express our serious concern" about the incident, the foreign ministry said in a statement. Douste-Blazy demanded that the Israeli flights stop.