Report: Israel Air Force Deploys Drones to Protect Gas Fields from Hizbullah
The Israeli air force has begun using unmanned aircraft to conduct surveillance and reconnaissance missions over Israeli gas fields in the Mediterranean Sea out of fear that they will be targeted by Hizbullah, The Jerusalem Post reported on Tuesday.
The Israeli daily said the decision to deploy the drones came after the Shiite party warned Israel that it would protect Lebanon’s maritime sovereignty.
Lebanon “will remain vigilant in order to regain its full rights, whatever it takes,” Hizbullah deputy chief Naim Qassem has said.
“The Israel navy has already drafted an operational plan for protecting the offshore gas fields and the decision to deploy drones was made in order to maintain a 24-hour presence over the site,” The Jerusalem Post said.
Last week, the Lebanese parliament approved a law on the delineation of the country's maritime boundary. The law defines Lebanon's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), which is a sea zone that gives a state the right to explore its maritime resources.
Tensions rose last month after Israel's cabinet approved a map of the country's proposed maritime borders with Lebanon and submitted it to the United Nations, which has been asked to mediate.
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