Hezbollah head Hassan Nasrallah has issued a new threat to Israel’s activities offshore, including around Energean’s Karish development.
Hezbollah can project power throughout the space, he said. “Mark these words: we will reach Karish, beyond Karish, and beyond, beyond Karish,” the Hezbollah secretary general said.
He was talking to Al Mayadeen on the 40th anniversary of Hezbollah’s founding.
Nasrallah said the dispute did not just relate to Energean’s Karish field or the Qana prospect, which lies to the north of Karish. “It is about all of the oil and gas fields looted by Israel in Palestine’s waters in exchange for Lebanon’s rights,” he said.
The Hezbollah official said Israel was working to cash in on the opportunity of higher demand. US President Joe Biden “does not want war in the region”, Nasrallah said, “and this is an opportunity to pressure [them] for our oil”.
Energean has projected starting up gas production Karish in September. Should this occur before the dispute between Lebanon and Israel has been resolved “we are heading toward a confrontation”, Nasrallah said. “We have set a goal that we will seek to achieve no matter what, and we will resort to anything to this end.”
State talks
The Hezbollah official went on to say the Lebanon government was “incapable” of making the right decisions on the offshore. “Therefore, the resistance must take this decision,” he said.
Lebanon had initially demanded Karish. However, its approach has softened in recent times. The government appears to be willing to forego Karish in exchange for confirmation that Qana lies within Lebanese waters.
The US is acting as a mediator in the talks between Israel and Lebanon. State Department negotiator Amos Hochstein is expected back in Beirut this week.
Hezbollah launched three reconnaissance drones in the direction of Karish early this month. Israel destroyed all three.