Lebanon today warned Israel against any “aggressive action” in disputed territorial waters where both countries are looking to develop offshore energy resources after a ship arrived off the coast to produce gas for Israel, while accusing it of creating a new crisis by trampling on Lebanese resources in disputed territorial waters where both countries are looking to develop offshore energy resources.
President Michel Aoun said any activity in the area in question would be tantamount to an act of aggression and provocation following the arrival of the London-based Energean gas storage and production vessel.
Israel says the area is within its exclusive economic zone and not in disputed waters.
However, in a statement, the Lebanese presidency said that Aoun had discussed with the caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati the entry of the vessel “into the disputed sea area with Israel and asked the Army Command to provide him with accurate and official data to support the theme”.
Aoun noted that negotiations on the demarcation of the southern sea border are ongoing and “any action or activity in the disputed area represents a challenge and an aggressive action”.
There was no immediate response from the Israeli government to Aoun’s statement. Israeli Energy Minister Karin Elharar welcomed the ship.
“We will continue to work to diversify the energy market and maintain stability and credibility,” he said.
Energean announced that its production storage and unloading vessel arrived today in the Karis field, about 50 miles west of the city of Haifa, in the exclusive economic zone of Israel.
Mikati said Israel was “encroaching on Lebanon’s maritime wealth and imposing an accomplished one on a disputed area”, calling it “extremely dangerous”.
The United States began mediating indirect talks between the two sides in 2000 to settle a long-running dispute between longtime enemies that has hampered energy exploration in the Eastern Mediterranean. There is an Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon that has waged many wars with Israel.
Hezbollah has previously warned Israel not to drill for oil and gas in the disputed area until the issue is resolved, and stressed that the group would take action if Israel did so.
Both Israel and Lebanon have made claims to the United Nations over their maritime borders.
Source: Capital
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