Israel said that it had shot down three Hezbollah drones
that had been heading towards one of its gas rigs that sits in an area of the
Mediterranean Sea disputed between Lebanon and Israel. Tensions have mounted
between Israel and Lebanon in recent months over ownership of the Karish gas
field.
Military officials said that the drones were launched
from Lebanon and were shot down by a combination of fighter jets and
ship-mounted missiles. Hezbollah confirmed that it had launched the drones. It
said that it had targeted the rig as part of a reconnaissance flight. “The
mission was accomplished and the message was received,” a Hezbollah
statement said.
Israel has claimed that the field lies within its
UN-recognized exclusive economic zone, but Lebanon has also laid claim to parts
of it.
Last week Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah threatened to
use force to prevent Israel from operating the rig.
Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz said the Islamist
group was “preventing the state of Lebanon from reaching an agreement
regarding maritime borders, which are critical to the economy and prosperity of
the Lebanese nation”.
It was felt by many observers that Hezbollah’s drone move
was mainly political. The day before the Israeli legislature voted to dissolve
parliament and call the fifth election in four years. A caretaker prime
minister was installed. The collapse of former Prime Minster Naftali Bennett’s
multi-party coalition offers Benjamin Netanyahu, the opposition leader, a
chance to return to power.
