’Israel’ Agitates Oil War with Lebanon, Bassil Warns: We’ll Treat them the Same Way
The Lebanese oil is once again into the “Israeli” circle of threats.
Under the title that Lebanon is trying to redraw its border with Occupied Palestine, official “Israeli” sources claimed that Lebanon is about to award offshore oil and gas exploration licenses in areas that allegedly encroach on the so-called “Israel’s” exclusive economic zone [EEZ].
In this context, the “Israeli” Globes paper warned that the matter could ignite the border dispute with Lebanon. It further mentioned that “Israel” is liable to lose territory if it does not object to the Lebanese acts in court, or even militarily.
In early September, Lebanon published tenders for offshore oil and gas exploration licenses in five blocks in its EEZ.
Meanwhile, “Israel” claimed the southernmost license, Block 9, encroaches on the border that “Israel” claims for its EEZ. This license is considered attractive with high chances of a major natural gas discovery.
In response to the “Israeli” claims, caretaker Energy Minister Gibran Bassil lashed out Wednesday at “Israel”, considering that it can’t prevent Lebanon from protecting its oil reserves.
He further revealed that “Israel” is digging a well 5 kilometers from Lebanese offshore reserves.
In an interview with as-Safir Lebanese daily, Bassil warned: “We will treat “Israel” as it is treating us. The Jewish state can’t oblige us to commit to stances that it fails to keep.”
He stressed the Lebanon “isn’t looking for any trouble as it’s discussing with the Americans the possibility of resolving the dispute with “Israel”.”
Bassil had previously warned in July that “Israel’s” discovery of a new offshore gas field near Lebanese territorial waters means the Zionist entity could siphon some of Lebanon’s crude oil.
“We are working within the international laws and norms and we will not breach maritime border,” Bassil said, adding that Lebanon “will hold onto its rights.”
He noted that the “Lebanese state is trying to guarantee its right to exploit its oil wealth.”
Bassil also lashed out at Lebanese officials who “paralyzed” the oil file.
In 2010, Lebanon submitted to the UN its proves, based on the land border set when after the 2000 “Israeli” withdrawal from southern Lebanon. The Lebanese area which the Zionist entity seeks to control covers 850 square kilometers in a triangle.
It is worth mentioning that scores of oil majors are participating in the Lebanese tenders. In March 2010, the US Geological Survey estimated a mean of 1.7 billion barrels of recoverable oil and a mean of 34.5 trillion cubic meters of recoverable gas in the Levant Basin in the eastern Mediterranean, which includes the territorial waters of Lebanon, Occupied Palestine, Syria and Cyprus.
