INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
will bring the inevitable doom of Israel one step closer
In its latest provocative move, the gas extraction vessel, Energean Power, is seeking to construct an extraction rig in the Karish gas field
in the Lebanese territorial waters on behalf of an Israeli firm.Several Lebanese politicians have spoken out against the Sunday docking of
used a separate maritime border line, which has recently been the subject of controversial indirect discussions between Lebanon and
The UN, on the other hand, argues that line 23, which runs slightly north, represents the sea border, putting Karish entirely within Israeli
sovereignty.Lebanon still has access to another field in Block 9 of its territorial seas.Israel claims an even further north border, Line 1,
depriving Lebanon of energy resources in both the Karish gas field and Block 9."Negotiations to demarcate the southern maritime borders
continue, and any action or activity in the disputed area represents a provocation and a hostile act," said Lebanese President Michel
Aoun.Aoun also requested the Lebanese army headquarters to brief him about the ship's activities.Interim Prime Minister Najib Mikati also
denounced the move, saying that "the Israeli enemy's attempts to create a new crisis by encroaching on Lebanon's water wealth and imposing a
fait accompli in a disputed area in which Lebanon adheres to its rights are extremely dangerous and would cause unimaginable
tensions."Lebanon's defense minister has said Israel's activities in Lebanese territorial waters is a clear provocation against his
country.Sayyed Hashem Safieddine, the leader of Hezbollah's Executive Council, remarked, "We have always emphasized that what is necessary
of the state is to announce the border lines, and then the Lebanese may unite with their army and resistance to preserve their
rights."According to the senior Hezbollah official, the United States is interfering with Lebanon's ability to explore and exploit offshore
crude oil and natural gas from its territorial waters."The U.S
is the major opponent of Lebanon in exploiting its crude oil deposits and enjoying its own national wealth," Saffieddine stated on June 5
during a ceremony in the southern town of Al-Ansariah.He went on to say that some Lebanese have been assisting the U.S
in "blocking the exploration."Saffiedine also stressed that it is necessary that the Lebanese government openly insist on its maritime
rights, noting that Lebanon is capable of exploiting its own natural wealth for the benefit of the country.As per Israeli N12 News, Israeli
navy ships equipped with Iron Dome interceptors and submarines are defending the Energean Power ship in case of reprisal by the Lebanese
resistance.The Israeli media has stated that the Karish gas field is within the UN boundaries, but has not explained why the ship requires
military protection if it is their rightful right.Mohammad Raad, a Hezbollah MP, urged the Lebanese government to hire an oil drilling
company and promised that the resistance would safeguard it once drilling began.In a speech delivered on May 20, Hezbollah Secretary General
Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah urged Lebanon to take the initiative and begin harvesting energy resources from its territorial waters."Extracting
oil is the key possibility for us to get out of the situation we're in, not begging and asking the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for
loans," Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah stated.So far, the Lebanese government has turned down offers of energy help from eastern nations
