Lebanon warns against any Israeli ‘aggression’ in disputed waters

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati gestures throughout a information convention on the newest developments within the nation, on the authorities palace in Beirut, Lebanon December 28, 2021. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir/File Picture

BEIRUT, June 5 (Reuters) – Lebanon warned Israel on Sunday in opposition to any “aggressive motion” in disputed waters the place each states hope to develop offshore power, after a ship arrived off the coast to provide gasoline for Israel.

President Michel Aoun mentioned any exercise within the disputed space would quantity to an act of aggression and a provocation, after the arrival of the pure gasoline storage and manufacturing ship operated by London-based Energean (ENOG.L).

Israel says the sphere in query is inside its unique financial zone, not in disputed waters.

However in an announcement, the Lebanese presidency mentioned Aoun mentioned with caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati the vessel’s entry “into the disputed maritime space with Israel, and requested the Military Command to offer him with correct and official information to construct upon the matter”.

Aoun mentioned negotiations to delineate the southern maritime border continued and “any motion or exercise within the disputed space represents a provocation and an aggressive motion”.

There was no fast response from the Israeli authorities to Aoun’s assertion. Israeli Vitality Minister Karine Elharrar welcomed the vessel’s arrival and mentioned she hoped it will be introduced on-line rapidly.

“We are going to proceed to work to diversify the power market and preserve stability and reliability,” she mentioned.

Energean mentioned its floating manufacturing storage and offloading vessel arrived on Sunday on the Karish area, about 80 km (50 miles) west of the town of Haifa, in Israel’s unique financial zone. The corporate mentioned it deliberate to convey it on-line within the third quarter.

Mikati mentioned Israel was “encroaching on Lebanon’s maritime wealth, and imposing a fait accompli in a disputed space”, calling this “extraordinarily harmful”.

The USA started mediating oblique talks between the perimeters in 2000 to settle a long-running dispute between outdated foes that has obstructed power exploration within the jap Mediterranean. Lebanon is house to the closely armed, Iran-backed Hezbollah group, which has fought quite a few wars with Israel.

Hezbollah has beforehand warned Israel in opposition to drilling for oil and gasoline within the disputed space till the difficulty is resolved, and mentioned the group would take motion if it did so.

Each Israel and Lebanon have made claims on the United Nations relating to about their maritime border. Lebanon says its border cuts into the ocean at an angle farther south and Israel’s declare runs farther north, making a triangle of disputed waters.

(This story corrects Israeli minister’s identify in paragraph 6)

Reporting by Yasmin Hussein in Cairo and Ari Rabinovitch in Jerusalem; Writing by Tom Perry; Modifying by Catherine Evans and Tomasz Janowski

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