Israel Preparing to Connect Karish Gas Field to its Network

Energean’s drill ship begins drilling at the Karish natural gas field (Reuters)
Energean’s drill ship begins drilling at the Karish natural gas field (Reuters)
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Israel Preparing to Connect Karish Gas Field to its Network

Energean’s drill ship begins drilling at the Karish natural gas field (Reuters)
Energean’s drill ship begins drilling at the Karish natural gas field (Reuters)

Israel's energy ministry said Friday it was set to conduct tests on a maritime field claimed in part by Lebanon, ahead of connecting it to the Jewish state's gas network.

The ministry "was preparing to connect the Karish reservoir to the Israeli system," a statement said.

The gas field has been licensed to London-listed company Energean, AFP said.

"As part of the next stage of the project, planned for the upcoming days, the rig and natural transmission system from the rig to the national network will be tested," the statement added.

Officials told AFP the test would be conducted by transferring gas from Israel to the rig.

The ministry announcement comes less than 10 days after Energean announced it was "on track to deliver (the) first gas from the Karish development project within weeks."

Israel says the Karish field is located entirely within its exclusive economic zone, but Lebanon insists that part of the field falls within its own waters. 

The United States has mediated the dispute, which escalated in early June when Energean brought a production vessel into the field.

Last Friday, US mediator Amos Hochstein noted "progress" in the talks, but said that "still more work needs to be done."

Lebanon and Israel, whose border is patrolled by the United Nations, have no diplomatic relations.

They had resumed maritime border negotiations in 2020, but the process was stalled by Beirut's claim that the map used by the United Nations in the talks needed modifying.

Lebanon initially demanded 860 square kilometers (330 square miles) in the disputed maritime area but then asked for an additional 1,430 square kilometers, including part of the Karish field.

Israel claims the field lies in its waters and is not part of the disputed area subject to ongoing negotiations.

The Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah, which launched drones towards the Karish gas field in July, had threatened attacks if Israel proceeds with gas extraction in the disputed area.

On Thursday, Israel's national security advisor Eyal Hulata addressed Hezbollah's threats, noting an agreement to export gas to energy-starved Europe.

"Israel will not be deterred by these threats and continue to realize its energetic interests, activate Karish and fulfil the important contracts it signed, including with Egypt and the EU," he said at a conference at Israel's Reichman University in Herzliya.



Tunisia Activists Launch Gaza-bound Convoy in 'Symbolic Act'

 Tunisians gather at a meeting point in Tunis on June 9, 2025, ahead of the departure of a land convoy named “Steadfastness” to break the siege on Gaza. (AFP)
Tunisians gather at a meeting point in Tunis on June 9, 2025, ahead of the departure of a land convoy named “Steadfastness” to break the siege on Gaza. (AFP)
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Tunisia Activists Launch Gaza-bound Convoy in 'Symbolic Act'

 Tunisians gather at a meeting point in Tunis on June 9, 2025, ahead of the departure of a land convoy named “Steadfastness” to break the siege on Gaza. (AFP)
Tunisians gather at a meeting point in Tunis on June 9, 2025, ahead of the departure of a land convoy named “Steadfastness” to break the siege on Gaza. (AFP)

Hundreds of people, mainly Tunisians, launched on Monday a land convoy bound for Gaza, seeking to "break the siege" on the Palestinian territory, activists said.

Organizers said the nine-bus convoy was not bringing aid into Gaza, but rather aimed at carrying out a "symbolic act" by breaking the blockade on the territory described by the United Nations as "the hungriest place on Earth".

The "Soumoud" convoy, meaning "steadfastness" in Arabic, includes doctors and aims to arrive in Rafah, in southern Gaza, "by the end of the week", activist Jawaher Channa told AFP.

It is set to pass through Libya and Egypt, although Cairo has yet to provide passage permits, she added.

"We are about a thousand people, and we will have more join us along the way," said Channa, spokeswoman of the Tunisian Coordination of Joint Action for Palestine, the group organizing the caravan.

"Egypt has not yet given us permission to cross its borders, but we will see what happens when we get there," she said.

Channa said the convoy was not set to face issues crossing Libya, "whose people have historically supported the Palestinian cause", despite recent deadly clashes in the country that remains divided between two governments.

Algerian, Mauritanian, Moroccan and Libyan activists were also among the group, which is set to travel along the Tunisian and Libyan coasts, before continuing on to Rafah through Egypt.

After 21 months of war, Israel is facing mounting international pressure to allow more aid into Gaza to alleviate widespread shortages of food and basic supplies.

On June 1, the Madleen aid boat, boarded by activists including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg and European parliament member Franco-Palestinian Rima Hassan, set sail for Gaza from Italy.

But on Monday morning Israel intercepted it, preventing it from reaching the Palestinian territory.

The UN has warned that the Palestinian territory's entire population is at risk of famine.