As European countries negotiate a possible energy deal with Israel, the Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group has threatened to hit an Israeli gas-drilling rig in the Mediterranean Sea.
The head of the Lebanon-based terrorist militia, Hassan Nasrallah, threatened Israel with war and destruction if the country goes ahead with the offshore gas exploration and drilling near the northern Israeli port of Haifa.
“The Lebanese losses in the event of war are nothing compared to what they will be on the side of the Israeli entity, and if there is a war it will have existential consequences for Israel,” Nasrallah boasted Thursday.
While the gas exploration zone is well within the Israeli maritime borders, the Lebanese government and Hezbollah have staked claim on the potential gas field. The left-wing Israeli newspaper Haaretz noted that the recent satellite images “shows that the new rig and a further drilling vessel belonging to the gas company are located 10 kilometers (6 miles) southwest of the official southern border Lebanon submitted to the UN.”
Israeli TV channel Arutz Sheva reported Hezbollah chief’s threat:
The leader of the Hezbollah terrorist organization, Hassan Nasrallah, commented on Thursday evening on the dispute over the maritime border between Israel and Lebanon and said that “sending the Karish rig for gas drilling in the area of the border is aggression against Lebanon.”Nasrallah threatened that “the resistance is militarily prepared” to prevent Israel from continuing to produce gas from the Karish rig near the Lebanese border.He said that Israel should stop pumping gas from the reservoir immediately and stated, “All options are on the table, we are not afraid of war.””The enemy must cease all activities in all parts of the field, and the company that owns the Greek ship must withdraw it immediately because it is an accomplice in the attack on Lebanon,” declared Nasrallah.”The Lebanese losses in the event of war are nothing compared to what they will be on the side of the Israeli entity, and if there is a war it will have existential consequences for Israel,” the Hezbollah chief threatened.
The Israeli military is taking Hezbollah’s threats seriously, and has initiated counter-measures to thwart any maritime terror attack. “An IDF report released Sunday said that the military is preparing for a Hezbollah attack on the rig and is planning to deploy naval forces to the site, including a sea-borne Iron Dome anti-missile battery,” The Times of Israel reported June 7.
These threats are not limited to the Israeli maritime zone. The IDF has also detected growing military build up by the Iran-sponsored terrorist outfit on the northern border. “The Hezbollah terror group has recently stepped up construction on military infrastructure near Lebanon’s border with Israel,” The Times of Israel added.
As Europe moves away from Russian energy imports — which making up around 45 of its total gas needs, it is looking at the Israeli gas fields as one the possible sources. The European Union has proposed a “natural gas import deal” with Israel and other Mediterranean, Reuters reported June 9.
On Monday, European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, visited Jerusalem for energy talks. “European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi were headed to Israel on Monday as the EU seeks to wean itself off Russian fossil fuel imports,” Israeli broadcaster Ynet reported.
“Both leaders were due to hold energy talks in Israel, which has turned from a natural gas importer into an exporter in recent years because of major offshore finds,” the news outlet added.
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