Three drones that were “approaching Israel’s economic waters” were intercepted in the Mediterranean on Saturday. The Israeli military stated that the drones were not from Hezbollah, and were headed towards the Karish offshore field. They were then shot down.
According to the army, these drones were launched out of Lebanon. According to Israeli military sources, one drone was intercepted and the two others were captured by a fighter plane.
Recent discoveries of large gas fields in the eastern Mediterranean have fueled border disputes and increased the desire for energy in neighboring countries.
Two neighboring countries, Israel and Lebanon, are still in a state-of-war. In October 2020, Washington facilitated unprecedented negotiations to define their maritime borders. This was to eliminate obstacles to hydrocarbon prospecting. After disputes over the area disputed, including the Karish gas fields, talks were stopped in May 2021.
The Karish field, which is a part of the Israeli territory that borders Lebanon and “several kilometres” from the region covered by the negotiations with Lebanon, is considered to be in the territory of the Jewish state. This deposit is located in disputed waters for Beirut.
Tensions flared up in June when a ship chartered by Energean Plc for the Jewish state was arrived. Lebanon accused Israel of operating within a disputed region. Hezbollah, the powerful Shiite-armed movement, is a declared enemy of Israel and has a dominant influence in Lebanon.
