Hezbollah threatens war over Lebanon-Israel maritime border dispute
With the U.S., Israeli and Lebanese governments hoping to finally reach a deal on the disputed Israel-Lebanon maritime border, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah again threatened war if Lebanon’s “rights” in the Mediterranean aren’t respected.
Why it matters: The dispute is focused on a potentially gas-rich, 330-square-mile area of the Mediterranean Sea off of Israel and Lebanon. The revenues from future natural gas production there could reach billions of dollars.
- One major gas project, the Karish oil field, is expected to come online this fall and is part of Israel’s plans to become a major gas supplier to Europe.
- Israel says Karish is south of the disputed area, but Nasrallah warned that if Lebanon’s rights aren’t respected, Hezbollah won’t allow Israel to produce any gas there. Two weeks ago, the Israeli military shot down three Hezbollah drones that were on their way to the Karish field.
- “We might be going to war and we might not. We don’t want to open a new front, we only want our rights. If someone in Lebanon thinks capitulation is the solution, we think it’s unacceptable,” Nasrallah said yesterday.
Read More: Axios