Lebanese President Michel Aoun on Sunday warned Israel against drilling in the Karish offshore natural gas field after claiming that the field is located in the disputed region of their maritime boundary. The announcement was made following the arrival of the Greek floating gas production rig Energean Power in Israel to commence operations at the reservoir.
Aoun said that “any action or activity in the disputed area constitutes a provocation and a hostile act” as negotiations to demarcate Lebanon’s southern maritime borders are “still ongoing.” Aoun also mentioned that he discussed the matter with caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and asked the army to provide the leadership with “accurate and official data to build upon the matter.”
Furthermore, PM Mikati called on the United Nations (UN) to push Israel to halt drilling operations at Karish until both sides can agree on a solution. “The Israeli enemy’s attempts to spark a new crisis—by infringing on Lebanon’s maritime resources and imposing a de facto situation in a disputed area in which Lebanon is adhering to its rights—is a very dangerous matter that can trigger tensions whose consequences cannot be speculated by anyone,” he said in a statement.
He added that a solution can be reached only through negotiations that are conducted in a manner that maintains “Lebanon’s full right to its resources and waters.”
Senior Israeli official: While Israel is drilling natural gas from Israel’s undisputed waters, why isn’t Lebanon drilling natural gas from Lebanon’s undisputed water? Why isn’t the Lebanese government utilizing an opportunity that could greatly benefit the Lebanese people
— Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) June 5, 2022
In addition, caretaker Defence Minister Maurice Selim said that Israel’s moves not only “constitute a challenge and a provocation to Lebanon” but also are a “flagrant violation” of regional stability. “Once again, Israel disavows all international laws and norms by trying to create a fait accompli on the Lebanese borders, especially as it thwarts the efforts being made to resume negotiations to demarcate the southern maritime borders,” Selim added.
However, Israeli officials rejected Lebanon’s claims and said the field is completely inside Israel’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), Hebrew news portal Walla! reported. “The lies and threats against Israel are an attempt by the Lebanese government to divert the attention of the Lebanese people from [government] corruption,” the official said.
Moreover, per reports, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) is gearing up for the possibility of a missile attack on the field by Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. Israeli warships and submarines will protect the drilling vessel during operations and the military plans to send the Iron Dome anti-missile system to the area.
The spike in tensions was sparked by the arrival of a drilling vessel belonging to Greek company Energean Power that was granted a license to operate Karish till 2044 in 2016. Karish, which is Hebrew for shark, is estimated to contain 1.4 trillion cubic feet of proven and probable gas reserves.
Israel and Lebanon have been at loggerheads for a long time regarding claims over coastal drilling and exploration rights in the Mediterranean Sea. While both sides started negotiations brokered by the United States and the UN in 2011 that focussed on around 860 square kilometres, Lebanon claimed an additional area of 1,430 square kilometres in 2020. The Karish gas field falls under the newly extended area claimed by Beirut.