Lebanon Warns Israel Over Gas Rig in Disputed Waters

Lebanon has warned Israel that any attempt to drill for gas in what it says are disputed waters in the Mediterranean Sea will be considered a “provocation and a hostile act.” The warning by Lebanese President Michel Aoun came on Sunday, after a new drilling platform arrived at the Karish site to produce gas for Israel. Israel says the waters in which the ship, operated by the London-based Energean company, will be drilling is part of Israel’s economic zone, not disputed water.

Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said Israel is “encroaching on Lebanon’s maritime wealth, and imposing a fait accompli in a disputed area.” Israel and Lebanon have for years disputed their maritime borders, with Lebanon expanding that border discrepancy last year. The United States has been working for years to negotiate the dispute.

Israel’s military reportedly is preparing for the possibility that Hizbullah will attack the new drilling rig, including the use of subamarines and a naval version of the Iron Dome missile defense system.