Thursday, August 11, 2022

Next security challenge for Lapid-Gantz duo: Tapping Karish gas field on Sept. 1 under Hizballah threat

The challenge facing Israel from Lebanon is a lot more serious than stopping Palestinian Islamic Jihad rockets from Gaza. Prime Minister Yair Lapid and Defense Minister Benny Gantz are bracing for pumping to start on Sept. 1 at the new Karish offshore gas field, after Hizballah chief Hassan Nasrallah threatened “to cut off the arm” that “steals Lebanon’s wealth.” The threat came as the two leaders were still basking in the kudos for the slick, painless, preemptive Operation Sunrise that ended the Gaza conflict with a ceasefire on Sunday night.

On the Lebanese front, however, whenever the US mediator has come close to resolving the Israel-Lebanon maritime boundary dispute by a deal between the two governments, Hizballah has stepped in with threats of sabotage. It is now up to caretaker prime minister Yair Lapid to decide whether to go ahead and pump gas from the new Karish gas field on schedule without a deal.
On Monday, Nasrallah made his intentions clear – not just towards Israel but also the shaky Lebanese government, which is desperate to begin harvesting its own offshore energy resources to bolster the failed national economy. READ MORE