JERUSALEM: Israel on Monday warned Lebanon’s Hezbollah any attack on its gas assets could spark war, after the militant group threatened to “sever” Israel’s hands if it taps a disputed offshore field.
The warning from Defense Minister Benny Gantz comes amid lengthy negotiations between the eastern Mediterranean neighbors to settle a dispute over their maritime border.
Tensions spiked in June when a production vessel chartered by Israel arrived near the Karish offshore gas field, which Lebanon claims is within contested waters.
Israel said on July 2 that it had downed three drones launched by Hezbollah toward Karish.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said on August 9 that “the hand that reaches for any of this wealth will be severed.”
Asked if any attack by Hezbollah against an Israeli gas field could lead to war, Gantz said: “Yes, that could trigger a reaction.”
“Leading to several days of fighting and to a military campaign. We are strong and prepared for this scenario, but we don’t want it,” the minister told Israel’s 103 FM radio station.
Gantz said extraction from the gas field would begin “when it is ready to produce,” reaffirming Israel’s claim to Karish.
“The State of Israel is both ready to protect its assets and ready to reach a deal with the Lebanese government, via American mediation, on the Sidon deposit,” he said in reference to another gas field known in Lebanon as Qana.
“I believe that in the future, there will be two gas platforms. One on our side, one on theirs. And I hope that we do not have to go through another round of confrontations before then.”
Israel and Lebanon last fought a devastating conflict in 2006 and remain officially at war, with United Nations peacekeepers patrolling the land border.
Negotiations on the maritime border resumed in 2020, with the talks stalling before being revived in June.
The initial discussions focused on a disputed area of 860 square kilometers (332 square miles), in accordance with Lebanon’s claims registered at the UN in 2011.
Beirut subsequently requested the area be expanded by a further 1,430 square kilometers, which includes part of the Karish field that Israel states is within its exclusive economic zone recognized by the UN.
Israel warns Hezbollah attack on gas field may mean war
https://arab.news/9v22x
Israel warns Hezbollah attack on gas field may mean war
- Lengthy negotiations between the eastern Mediterranean neighbors to settle a dispute over their maritime border
Qatar, Jordan and Egypt condemn Israeli ceasefire violations in Gaza
- Israel pounded Gaza on Saturday with some of its most intense airstrikes since the October ceasefire was brokered
LONDON: Qatar, Jordan and Egypt on Saturday strongly condemned Israel’s repeated violations of the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, warning that the attacks risk dangerous escalation and undermine regional and international efforts to restore stability.
Israel pounded Gaza on Saturday with some of its most intense airstrikes since the October ceasefire was brokered, killing more than 30 people including three girls from one family, in attacks on houses, tents and a police station, Palestinian health officials said.
Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the breaches, which have resulted in fatalities and injuries, threaten the political pathway aimed at de-escalation and jeopardize efforts to create a safer environment for Palestinians in Gaza, the Qatar News Agency reported.
Doha urged Israel to fully comply with the ceasefire agreement, calling for maximum restraint from all parties to ensure the success of the second phase of US President Donald Trump’s plan and the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2803.
The ministry also stressed the importance of creating conditions conducive to early recovery and reconstruction in the enclave.
Jordan echoed the condemnation, with its Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates describing the latest incidents as a blatant breach of the ceasefire and a dangerous escalation.
Ministry spokesperson Fouad Majali called for strict adherence to the agreement and its provisions, including the immediate, adequate and unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, as well as moving forward with the second phase of the deal, the Jordan News Agency reported.
Majali urged the international community to fulfil its legal and moral responsibilities to ensure Israel’s compliance, while warning against actions that could derail de-escalation efforts. He also reiterated Jordan’s call for a clear political horizon leading to an independent Palestinian state on the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in line with the two-state solution and the Arab Peace Initiative.
Egypt, meanwhile, condemned what it described as recurrent Israeli breaches that have led to the deaths of at least 25 Palestinians.
Cairo warned that such actions risk turning the situation into a tinderbox and threaten ongoing efforts to stabilize Gaza at both the security and humanitarian levels.
In a statement, Egypt’s Foreign Ministry appealed to all parties to exercise maximum restraint, safeguard the ceasefire, and avoid measures that could undermine the political process. It stressed the need to maintain momentum toward early recovery and reconstruction, emphasizing that continued violations directly threaten prospects for lasting stability in the enclave.
