Lebanese President Michael Aoun warns Israel against oil drilling in disputed areas
Lebanese President Michel Aoun has warned that any drilling activities by Israel in the territorial disputed area with Lebanon “constitute a provocation and a hostile act”.
In a statement released by Lebanon’s Presidency on Sunday, Aoun said that Lebanon has already sent a letter to the UN Security Council, warning that any drilling activities by Israel in disputed areas may pose threat to international peace and security, Xinhua news agency reported.
Aoun added that talks to demarcate maritime borders between the two countries had not been completed yet.
Aoun’s remarks came after an Energean Power ship entered the Karish oil field, a disputed area between Lebanon and Israel, to start oil and gas exploration.
Israel had initially claimed the Karish North field as its own property, but later Lebanon expanded its claim in territorial waters, which would include at least part of the oil field.
This has resulted in the halting of indirect negotiations for the demarcation of the maritime borders between the two countries.
Israel rejects
Israel said on Monday that the Karish gas field in the Mediterranean Sea where drilling has been planned is “in Israel’s territorial waters,” rejecting Lebanon’s claim that at least part of the field is disputed.
“The Karish field is in Israel’s territorial waters even according to a map submitted by Lebanon to the United Nations in 2011,” Shaked Eliyahu, spokeswoman of Israeli Energy Minister Karine Elharrar, told Xinhua.
“The field is located south of the two border lines both Israel and Lebanon submitted to the United Nations in 2011,” she said.
The Israeli government issued a drilling license for the Karish field as early as 2008, according to the Israeli spokesman.
Earlier in the day, the Israeli Energy Ministry announced in a statement that a natural gas rig has reached its destination in the Karish gas field.
The rig is expected to connect Karish and other nearby fields and supply about half of the demand for natural gas in Israel’s economy, said the ministry statement, adding commercial production from Karish is expected to begin in September.
Israel had initially claimed the Karish field as its own property, but later Lebanon expanded its claim in territorial waters which would include at least part of the oil field.
This has resulted in the halt of indirect negotiations for the demarcation of the maritime borders between the two countries.
In another development, Lebanese authorities decided to invite U.S. Energy Envoy Amos Hochstein to resume its indirect border demarcation talks with Israel in a bid “to prevent any escalation that would not serve the stability in the region,” the National News Agency reported.
The decision came after a meeting between Lebanese President Michel Aoun and caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati following that Israel sent an Energean Power ship to enter the Karish oil field, a disputed area between Lebanon and Israel, to start oil and gas exploration.
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The two officials also agreed to carry out a series of diplomatic contacts with the major countries and the United Nations to explain Lebanon’s position and affirm the country’s adherence to its maritime rights and wealth.
They also considered that any exploration, drilling or extraction activities carried out by Israel in the disputed areas constitute a provocation and an act of aggression that threatens international peace and security, and obstructs negotiations.
Israel had initially claimed the Karish North field as its own property, but later Lebanon expanded its claim in territorial waters, which would include at least part of the oil field.
This has resulted in the halting of indirect negotiations for the demarcation of the maritime borders between the two countries.