WEST BANK (MEMO/Xinhua) – The Zionist regime has raised the state of alert and ordered its troops to prepare for any scenario following a warning by Lebanon’s Hezbollah resistance movement to target the offshore Karish gas drilling rig, Hebrew Walla news site said.
On Saturday, Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah warned the Zionist regime’s extraction of gas from the Karish gas field before Lebanon obtained its rights is a “red line.”
“We will not allow the extraction of oil and gas from the Karish field before Lebanon obtains its rightful demands…Zionist officials said the extraction from Karish will take place in September, but they postponed it. The important thing is that there is no extraction from the Karish field before Lebanon obtains its rightful demands;” Nasrallah told crowds gathered for the Arbaeen commemoration, which marks the end of the 40-day mourning period for the seventh-century killing of Imam Hussein, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad.
“All enemy threats do not affect us or shake a hair from our beard. We give negotiations a chance, but our eyes and our missiles are on Karish,” he added.
Meanwhile, Lebanese President Michel Aoun said on Monday that negotiations to resolve the maritime dispute with the Zionist regime have reached the “final stages” and the deal will guarantee Lebanon’s rights to oil and gas exploration.
“Communication is ongoing with U.S. mediator Amos Hochstein on some technical details related to the demarcation process,” a statement released by Lebanon’s Presidency quoted Aoun as saying.
Aoun made the remarks during a meeting with UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Joanna Wronecka at Baabda Palace, during which they discussed demarcation issues and topics related to peacekeeping forces in southern Lebanon.
Aoun reiterated Lebanon’s commitment to international resolutions and the importance of preserving strong coordination between the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and the Lebanese army to ensure the mission’s success in maintaining security and peace on the borders.