The Israel Defense Force is responding to the threats by Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah amid the intention to begin testing the gas flow from the Karish gas rig. In an interview with an Israeli newspaper, Colonel Roi Sabirsky, commander of the 188th Brigade which is a tank brigade, said: "We will prove to Nasrallah that on Rosh Hashanah it is better for him to be quiet."
In response to the question of whether Nasrallah will try to do something during the upcoming holiday, Brigade 188 commander replied: "For his sake, I hope not." I know that the gas rig can be a literal energy bomb, but we will not allow it."
"We may look like we're (distracted) eating apples with honey, but I wouldn't recommend the other side to taste our shells and bombs and the various weapons of our forces," added Col. Sabirsky."
An interesting tidbit written by @shira_rubin at the Washington Post where she cites an IDF official who says Hezbollah has been sending weapons to the West Bank. I spoke to another senior Israeli military official and was able to confirm the information. pic.twitter.com/J4AQJE2JKU
— Joe Truzman (@JoeTruzman) September 20, 2022
Last week, the Secretary General of Hezbollah stated that the red line for him is the beginning of gas extraction from the Karish rig and promised that he would not accept "a situation in which Israel removes gas from the Karish rig before Lebanon receives all the rights it deserves."
Last decade, Lebanon had approved international maritime borders that were laid out, and those demarcations did not show Karish in Lebanese waters. It was not until Israeli geologists had identified the natural gas well, now known as Karish, that Lebanon backtracked on the previous borders and issued its own claim. Nasrallah has been acting as an extortionist, egging on the Lebanese government to 'take what belongs to Lebanon' while issuing threats to Israel over developing the rig before new negotiations are settled.
An interesting tidbit written by @shira_rubin at the Washington Post where she cites an IDF official who says Hezbollah has been sending weapons to the West Bank. I spoke to another senior Israeli military official and was able to confirm the information. pic.twitter.com/J4AQJE2JKU
— Joe Truzman (@JoeTruzman) September 20, 2022
Nasrallah claimed that his organization does not interfere in the negotiations between Israel and Lebanon, but threatened: "Our eyes are directed at 'Karish', and our missiles are also directed there. Israel, as well as the United States and Europe, have enough information for them to understand that our position is serious and that these are not just empty threats.”
Iran trying to buy Lebanon with fuel, says IDF chief of staff https://t.co/IK6ZQTUexg
— Elke Götze (@Pucemargine) September 21, 2022
by @AAhronheim via @Jerusalem_Post
In recent days progress has actually been made in the negotiations between Israel and Lebanon, and Lebanese President Michel Aoun even stated that the talks with Israel are now focused on technical matters only. Israel has been pressured by the United States administration of Joe Biden to "throw Lebanon a bone" as one senior official put it, citing that the U.S. understands the well is in Israeli territory, and that giving in a little can go a long way towards placating Iran, who is the State sponsor of Hezbollah.
#Netanyahu: Nasrallah threatened that if the Karish field was operated before signing the gas agreement with Lebanon, he would attack Israel. pic.twitter.com/37XUg0SpVH
— News About Iran Military & Many More (@Militar28956663) September 21, 2022
The IDF did not detect any real intention by Nasrallah to carry out his threats and estimated that these threats were made against Israel but the real intention was to gain political credit from the agreement that is taking shape, which may ease the faltering Lebanese economy, albeit by very little.
However, in the situational assessments that took place in the IDF, it was decided not to take risks and increase preparedness and defense measures in the event that some of Nasrallah's threats become reality. Prime Minister Yair Lapid's office issued a statement on Monday following Aoun's remarks. "Israel believes that it is possible and necessary to reach an agreement on the maritime line between Lebanon and Israel in a way that will serve the interests of the citizens of both countries," it said.
"...Netanyahu yesterday, the Likud leader tells the camera that “Lapid totally folded in the face of Nasrallah’s threats.” He accuses Lapid of delaying the extraction of gas from the Karish field, and of intending to transfer a field worth billions of dollars to Lebanon."
— Orbital tungsten rod sales🏹 (@razingarizona) September 21, 2022
Facts. https://t.co/2CIR88On9h
"The agreement will contribute a lot and be beneficial to regional stability." Lapid's office also stated that "Israel thanks the American mediator for his hard work in trying to reach an agreement. The production of gas from the Karish rig is not related to the negotiations, the rig will start producing gas without delays as soon as possible."
