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.



Netanyahu Says Israel Will Continue to Act Against the Houthis

FILE - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a news conference in Jerusalem, on Sept. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg, Pool, File)
FILE - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a news conference in Jerusalem, on Sept. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg, Pool, File)
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Netanyahu Says Israel Will Continue to Act Against the Houthis

FILE - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a news conference in Jerusalem, on Sept. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg, Pool, File)
FILE - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a news conference in Jerusalem, on Sept. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg, Pool, File)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday Israel would continue acting against the Houthi militias in Yemen, whom he accused of threatening world shipping and the international order, and called on Israelis to be steadfast.
"Just as we acted forcefully against the terrorist arms of Iran's axis of evil, so we will act against the Houthis," he said in a video statement a day after a missile fired from Yemen fell in the Tel Aviv area, causing a number of mild injuries.

The US military said it conducted precision airstrikes on Saturday against a missile storage facility and a command-and-control facility operated by Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen's capital, Sanaa.

In a statement, the US military's Central Command said the strikes aimed to "disrupt and degrade Houthi operations, such as attacks against US Navy warships and merchant vessels in the Southern Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb, and Gulf of Aden.”

The US military also said it struck multiple Houthi one-way drones and an anti-ship cruise missile over the Red Sea.

Saturday's strike followed a similar attack last week by US aircraft against a command and control facility operated by the Houthis.

On Thursday, Israel launched strikes against ports and energy infrastructure in Houthi-held parts of Yemen and threatened more attacks against the group, which has launched hundreds of missiles at Israel over the past year.