Published on: 07/31/2022 – 13:29 Modified on: 07/31/2022 – 18:10
The American mediator in the negotiations on the border between Lebanon and Israel, Amos Hochstein, is expected in Beirut this Sunday, July 31. This visit comes after Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah explicitly threatened war if Lebanon is not allowed to exploit its gas resources at the same time as Israel.
Hours before Amos Hochstein’s plane landed in Beirut on Sunday, Hezbollah repeated its threats against Israel. Shia al-Manar party television broadcast a short video titled “In the Sights” which showed what appeared to be a missile launch pad.
The video lists the names of gas platforms and several floating gas production and extraction units active in Israeli waters, with geographic coordinates, according to our correspondent in Beirut. Paul Khalifeh. Post reiterates Hezbollah leader’s explicit threats to attack Israel’s gas infrastructure if Tel-Aviv started mining operations in the Karish fieldLocated on the edge of Lebanon’s exclusive economic zone.
defuse the crisis
Since early July, Hassan Nasrallah has threatened war for the first time if Lebanon, which is experiencing an unprecedented economic crisis, is not allowed to exploit its gas reserves at the same time as Israel.
Threats from the Hezbollah leader prompted the United States to send its mediator back to the region to try to defuse the crisis. Amos Hochstein, head of international energy affairs at the US State Department, is to report to Lebanese leaders on Israel’s response to Beirut’s demands.
For its part, Europe has decided to send warships to patrol near Israel’s Karish gas platform, Israeli and Saudi media report. You will join a French frigate and Israeli Navy units. Commentators say it is about Europe defending its strategic interests as an agreement was reached last month between the EU and Israel to supply gas for a period of 30 years amid energy shortages linked to the war in Ukraine .