Israel’s Prime Minister Yair Lapid on Tuesday flew over the Karish gas rig in Israel’s territorial waters, which was recently attacked by Hezbollah drones. Lapid called on the Lebanese government, which opposes Israel’s docking of a gas rig in the disputed maritime zone, to negotiate.
“Israel’s gas reserves have the potential to contribute to resolving the global energy crisis. Lebanon too can benefit from the development of its economic water reservoirs, through negotiations, which must be completed soon,” Lapid said, according to his office’s statement.
“The new rig is the energy future of the State of Israel and an economic opportunity that includes the export of gas to Egypt and Europe, from which every Israeli citizen will benefit in the not too distant future,” he added.
Earlier this month, the Israel Defense Forces shot down three drones flown by the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. Israel’s Defense Minister Benny Gantz condemned the attack saying that Hezbollah’s actions were “preventing the state of Lebanon from reaching an agreement regarding maritime borders.”
Lapid during his recent trip to France also warned that “Hezbollah must not play with fire,” stressing that a strike on a gas platform “could be a very dangerous act.”
Lebanon and Israel began negotiations in October 2020 to delimit their maritime border, but the talks were suspended in May 2021 due to disagreements over the surface of the disputed area, which includes the Karish gas field.
