Energean Power FPSO – Credit: Energean (via Israel’s Energy Ministry)
On September 15, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz warned that Lebanon would suffer serious consequences if Hezbollah attempts to sabotage the US-mediated talks on the Israeli-Lebanese maritime border.
The maritime dispute between Israel and Lebanese returned to the spot light last June when the Greek-owned Energean Power FPSO [Floating Production Storage Offloading] reached the Karish naval field to extract gas for Israel. Lebanon claims that at least a part of the gas field is within its exclusive economic zone.
Israel will reportedly begin extracting gas from Karish towards the end of September. Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah has already warned Tel Aviv against starting production before an agreement is reached.
Speaking at a conference at Herzliya’s Reichman University, Gantz said that if Hezbollah wants to disrupt the ongoing talks, “he’s welcome to do so, but the price will be Lebanon.”
“Israel is ready to reach a deal that will assist both countries economically and energy-wise. I believe there will be two gas rigs in the sea, one on the Israeli side and one on the Lebanese side,” Gantz said, adding that Israel will protect its own gas rig regardless of the outcome of the ongoing talks.
On September 9, the US mediator in the Israeli-Lebanese maritime border dispute, Amos Hochstein, announced that the talks to resolve the serious conflict have made “very good progress.”
Two days later, on September 11, an Israeli official confirmed some progress in the indirect talks between Lebanon and Israel, but said more work was needed for a final agreement.
All sides appears to be optimistic that an agreement on the demarcation of the Israeli-Lebanese maritime border can be reached before the start of gas production at the dispute Karish field. Still, Hezbollah will not likely hesitate to take military action if Tel Aviv attempted to prolong the talks in a way or another.
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