Beirut: A maritime boundary dispute between Lebanon and Israel has resurfaced after security developments on Saturday night.
Israeli military spokesman Avichai Adrei said warplanes and an Israeli missile plane had intercepted three drones approaching Lebanon’s airspace in Israeli economic waters.
Hezbollah’s military wing, Islamic Resistance, confirmed the incident in a statement: “A group associated with martyr Jameel Skaff and Mahdi Yagi carried out reconnaissance missions, over the Karish gas field, towards the disputed area of various sizes. Launched three drones. Mission accomplished and message delivered.”
Lebanon remained mostly silent on the development, although Acting Foreign Minister Abdullah Bou Habib said an agreement on the border issue was likely to be reached in September and information from the US and the United Nations showed that talks had made progress.
Fastfact
Israeli military spokesman Avichai Adrei said warplanes and an Israeli missile plane had intercepted three drones approaching Lebanon’s airspace in Israeli economic waters.
American mediator Amos Hochstein sent a proposal to Lebanon in March on the demarcation starting at Line 23, which was drawn in a zigzag form.
Lebanon gave him a verbal response, which he did not reveal, pending an Israeli response.
Lebanon has been unable to confirm that Line 29 – which includes the Karish gas field – is Lebanon’s maritime boundary, because of President Michel Aoun’s failure to sign a draft amendment to Decree 6433.
It was issued in 2011 and specified that Line 23 was the point of negotiation to demarcate the maritime borders with Israel. However, Online considers Line 29 as the point of negotiation.
Line 29 gives Lebanon an additional area of 1,430 km, while according to the decree submitted to the United Nations, Lebanon gets only 860 km of disputed territory.
Mohamed Yazbek, Ayatollah Khamenei’s legal representative in Lebanon, said on Sunday: “Protection of Lebanese assets can only be achieved by telling the enemy that we are strong. The message was delivered by drone. The message is not only for the enemy of Israel but also for the American mediator, to understand that Lebanon’s rights cannot be underestimated or ridiculed.
Former MP Fares Saued said: “The purpose of Hezbollah’s drone on Karish is to remind all parties that Iran exists under US auspices in the ongoing talks between Lebanon and Israel and on border demarcation at the expense of Lebanese interests.
“The incident confirmed by Hezbollah could happen once again, and there could be more serious incidents. Therefore, we call on the country’s representatives to raise the issue of Iran’s occupation within Parliament.”
On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said Hezbollah constituted an “obstacle” to an agreement between Lebanon and Israel.
“The party continues to follow the path of terrorism and undermines Lebanon’s ability to reach an agreement on maritime borders.”
He said Israel will continue to defend itself, its citizens and its interests.
Israel’s military said Hezbollah was trying to undermine the country’s sovereignty on land, in the air and at sea. “Economic waters are part of Israel and not a conflict zone. No discussion is necessary,” it added.
Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported that the drone was flown near the Karish gas field. One was shot down by a fighter jet, and the other two were launched from a missile ship by Barak 8 missiles.
It said Hezbollah had sent a variety of drones that flew at low altitudes. They were monitored and intercepted through coordination between the Navy and the Air Force.
The newspaper quoted the Israeli military as saying: “Preliminary assessments indicated that the drones were not armed and posed no threat. This is an attempt to undermine negotiations with Lebanon regarding the maritime boundary, and Hezbollah seeks to destroy Lebanon.”
The report said Hezbollah had previously sent drones into Israeli territory, but Saturday night’s development was the first time such an operation had been carried out on a floating gas platform in Karish, where no gas had yet been ejected.
“This incident is a message to Israel that Hezbollah may carry out the threats made by its leader Hassan Nasrallah in recent weeks. By launching these drones, Hezbollah acted against Lebanese interests despite progress in the file demarcation of maritime borders through the efforts of American mediator Amos Hochstein. violated its position with respect to Lebanon not taking any action without national agreement or consensus.