The leader of Lebanese Hezbollah raised his voice on Tuesday (August 9) against Israel over disputed waters between the two countries in the eastern Mediterranean, where the discovery in recent years of vast gas fields has fueled border disputes.
Lebanon and Israel, two neighboring countries officially still in a state of war, are conducting unprecedented negotiations through Washington to settle their border dispute and remove obstacles to hydrocarbon exploration.
"
Lebanon's oil, gas and water must remain its own, and no one be allowed to plunder its wealth
", said Hassan Nasrallah in a televised speech on the occasion of Achoura, an important commemoration Shia nun.
"
The hand that touches our wealth will be cut off
," he said.
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Launched in October 2020, negotiations on maritime borders initially covered an area of 860 km2, in accordance with Lebanese claims registered with the UN in 2011. But Lebanon then said it wanted to claim an additional right over 1,430 km2, which includes part of the Karish gas field.
For Israel, this field is in its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) recognized by the UN.
The talks were suspended in May 2021. Talks resumed this summer at the request of Lebanon, tensions having arisen with the arrival in early June of a vessel at the controversial Karish field which was to start exploiting it for the account of Israel.
Since then, Hezbollah, a powerful armed movement which dominates political life in Lebanon,
In early July, the Israeli army intercepted three unarmed drones sent by Hezbollah to Karish.
In late July, Hezbollah released a short video it said showed drone footage taken on two different dates showing several ships chartered by Israel.
Hassan Nasrallah also warned that if Lebanon was prevented from extracting oil and gas from its waters, "
nobody
" could extract or sell it.
In early August, American mediator Amos Hochstein said he was “
optimistic
” about the possibility of an agreement, the “
best and only way to achieve it (…) being negotiations and diplomacy.
“
We are waiting for the answers to the demands of the Lebanese state,
“Hassan Nasrallah said again on Tuesday.
“
But we have to be ready and prepared for all possibilities
,” he warned.
