Nasrallah threatens Israel with new war over bilateral gas dispute
Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah on Wednesday threatened a military escalation against Israel over the gas dispute between Tel Aviv and Beirut, saying that if the country of the cedars cannot access oil and gas resources, "no one will".
"Resistance is the only force at Lebanon's disposal to obtain its right to oil and gas," the Shi'ite leader cried in a televised speech marking the anniversary of the 2006 war between pro-Iranian militia and Israeli troops, which Hezbollah regards as a "divine victory".
"If the goal is to prevent Lebanon from extracting oil and gas, no one will be able to either extract it or sell it, regardless of the consequences," Nasrallah said, adding that "if things end badly, we will not only confront each other in [the Karish gas field]."
The Arab country is in the midst of one of the most pronounced economic crises in recent history, following decades of political sectarianism, where the same personalities from the civil war have controlled the top state posts. Up to 80% of its population has fallen into poverty, while the Lebanese lira has lost 90% of its value.
But for Nasrallah, the ace up the cedar country's sleeve is energy exploitation. "The only way to save the Lebanese is to extract oil and gas, and we have a golden opportunity," the Hezbollah secretary-general argued, warning that "going to war would be honourable if the other option is for the Lebanese to starve".
The Karish gas field is in dispute between the two countries, which have never delimited their maritime borders due to the lack of diplomatic relations. In 2011, Beirut submitted to the United Nations, through the so-called "Decree 6433", a map that included up to 860 square kilometres of waters claimed by Tel Aviv, limited by the so-called lines 1 and 23. Although the United States tried to mediate between the two sides, in 2020 the country of the cedars increased its claims by 1,430 square kilometres to line 29, in an area where the Karish field is partially located, a claim rejected by Israel, which considers the field to be entirely within its Exclusive Economic Zone.
Tensions escalated last month when Tel Aviv sent a floating production, storage and offloading unit to Karish to begin natural gas extraction. Nasrallah warned then that Hezbollah had the capacity to prevent exploitation of the disputed fields, and a few days ago the Shi'ite militia sent three reconnaissance drones to harass and hinder Israeli exploitation efforts. "We want those working in this area to know that they are not safe," the pro-Iranian leader justified during his televised speech. "We have various capabilities on land, sea and air, and all these options are open," he added.
The three Iranian-made drones were reportedly not equipped with weapons, according to the Shi'ite leader, which is consistent with information provided by the Israel Defense Forces, which said in a statement that they posed "no imminent threat". The IDF also announced that it had shot down the aircraft, using an F-16 fighter and the Barak 1 air defence system. In addition, the Israeli army said it had shot down another Hezbollah drone on 29 June in the Lebanese Exclusive Economic Zone.
"The State of Israel knows how to protect its assets, and Hezbollah must understand that the mission it is carrying out on behalf of Iran can turn into a deadly mission that will harm the interests of Lebanese citizens first and foremost," threatened Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz at the time.
So did Energy Minister Karin Elharrar, who, on a visit to Karish after the raid, assured that Tel Aviv would respond to a potential attack "with the variety of means at our disposal". Elharrar added that the start of natural gas production at the field would begin in September.
The Lebanese government has not been happy about the drone strike either. In a joint statement, interim Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib called the action "unacceptable" and called for an acceleration of US-mediated negotiations with Israel. A few days before the attack, President Michel Aoun said that a final agreement could be reached "shortly".
However, the actions of the Shiite militia could prevent these efforts from bearing fruit. "Hezbollah continues on the path of terrorism and is undermining Lebanon's ability to reach an agreement on the maritime border," warned Yair Lapid, Israel's interim Prime Minister.
On Tuesday, the Israeli government lodged a complaint with the UN Security Council over Hezbollah's drone attacks, and on Wednesday the veteran president of the cedar country, who is close to the Shiite militia, said he would do the same, in view of "Israel's continued violations of Lebanese airspace".
Biden in Jerusalem
As the escalating rhetoric between Israel and Lebanon continues to escalate, Joe Biden is visiting Jerusalem, accompanied by Amos Hochstein, the US mediator in the indirect negotiations between Tel Aviv and Beirut, whom Nasrallah accused of "working in Israel's interest and putting pressure on the Lebanese side".
The Shi'ite politician also had to say about Biden's regional tour. After Jerusalem, he will travel to Ramallah, where he will meet with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, and then to Jeddah for a meeting with top Gulf leaders, including Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. "A lot of hopes and illusions have been built around this visit... The United States is not the same as it was in 2003 and 2006. The old President Biden, by his age and gestures, is the image of an ageing America," Nasrallah said.