Hezbollah warns Israel over border dispute with Lebanon

BEIRUT (AP) — The chief of Lebanon’s militant Hezbollah group issued a warning Tuesday to archenemy Israel over the 2 international locations’ maritime border dispute, saying that “any arm” that reaches to steal Lebanon’s wealth “might be minimize off.”

Hassan Nasrallah’s remarks got here amid intensified U.S. efforts to resolve a greater than a decade-old maritime border dispute between Israel and Lebanon, which have formally been at conflict since Israel’s creation in 1948.

Each international locations declare some 860 sq. kilometers (330 sq. miles) of the Mediterranean Sea. Lebanon additionally claims that the Karish fuel area is in disputed territory underneath ongoing maritime border negotiations whereas Israel says it lies inside its internationally acknowledged financial waters.

Amos Hochstein, a senior adviser for vitality safety on the U.S. State Division who has been mediating within the dispute, met with prime Lebanese officers final week. After the talks, he mentioned the 2 international locations are getting nearer to reaching a deal within the dispute.

Hochstein was later reported to have visited Israel and is predicted again in Beirut within the coming weeks with Israeli responses to Lebanese requests.

Israel and Hezbollah are bitter enemies that fought a monthlong conflict in the summertime of 2006. Israel considers the Iran-backed Shiite militant group its most critical instant menace, estimating that Hezbollah has some 150,000 rockets and missiles geared toward Israel.

In his speech throughout a rally south of Beirut, attended by tens of 1000’s to mark Ashoura, Nasrallah mentioned Lebanon “needs to be able to all prospects.”

“We is not going to tolerate the concept that our wealth be stolen,” Nasrallah mentioned.

Ashoura is among the most vital days on the Shiites spiritual calendar, commemorating the seventh century martyrdom of the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson Hussein.

Lebanon badly wants an settlement over the maritime border within the Mediterranean because it hopes to take advantage of offshore fuel reserves to attempt to alleviate what has change into the worst financial disaster in its fashionable historical past.

Final month, the Israeli army shot down three unarmed Hezbollah drones flying over the Karish area. Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati on the time criticized Hezbollah, saying the transfer might pose dangers to the nation. Hezbollah later aired drone footage displaying Israeli ships within the space.

“Don’t make errors with Lebanon nor with the folks of Lebanon,” Nasrallah mentioned. “Any arm that tries to succeed in for any of this (Lebanese) wealth might be minimize off.”

Nasrallah additionally warned Israel to not goal any Palestinian officers in Lebanon amid a cease-fire that ended three days of lethal preventing between Israel and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group within the Gaza Strip. The Islamic Jihad group, together with the a lot bigger Hamas militant group that runs Gaza, is a Hezbollah ally.