Gantz threatens to 'destroy' Lebanon if Hezbollah attacks Israel

Tel Aviv: Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz threatened, on Saturday, that if Hezbollah attacks Israel, Tel Aviv will "destroy" Lebanon.

In an interview with the private Hebrew channel 12, Gantz said: “The ball is in the court of the Lebanese side regarding the maritime border demarcation agreement, but if Hezbollah attacks Israel, we will destroy Lebanon.”

In October 2020, indirect negotiations began between Beirut and Tel Aviv, under the auspices of the United Nations, with the aim of demarcating the borders.

In a related context, the channel said that “the security system in Israel gave the Noble Energy the green light to start the process of examining the pipeline in the Karish field to start the exploration process.”

The channel stated that “in the absence of technical malfunctions, gas can flow from the Karish field within a few weeks.”

She pointed out that "the Americans are pressing Lebanon to reach an agreement demarcating the maritime borders with Israel, but the Israeli security establishment is preparing simultaneously for a possible escalation in the north."

Tel Aviv is concerned that Hezbollah will try to create a provocation that could lead to an escalation on the northern border

The channel added that Tel Aviv is "concerned that Hezbollah will try to create a provocation that may lead to an escalation on Israel's northern border."

She pointed out that the Israeli army "has increased air and sea patrols around the Karish facility, in addition to the widespread deployment of the air defense system in northern Israel."

Lebanon and Israel are quarreling over a sea rich in oil and gas in the Mediterranean, with an area of 860 square kilometers, and Washington is mediating indirect negotiations between them to settle the dispute and demarcate the border.

On Thursday, the official Israeli Broadcasting Corporation quoted an unnamed political source as saying that Prime Minister Yair Lapid rejected Lebanon's comments on the text of the draft agreement on the maritime borders presented by the American mediator last week.

This was preceded by the Lebanese presidency’s announcement, in a statement, that Beirut’s comments on a draft agreement to demarcate borders guarantee its rights to explore for oil and natural gas.

 (Anatolia)