Israel’s defense forces said on Saturday they had successfully intercepted three drones operated by the Lebanese terror group Hezbollah that were targeting the Karish gas field off Israel’s Mediterranean coast.
Tensions have risen around the site in recent weeks after a gas extraction ship arrived in Israel to begin drilling operations in the offshore field, prompting condemnation from Lebanon, which has laid claim to parts of it. Israel claims Karish is part of its UN-recognized exclusive economic zone.
One of the Hezbollah planes was shot down by an F16 fighter jet and the other two by Barak 8 missiles fired from the Saar 5 Class Corvette INS Eilat, the military said in a statement.
Saturday’s incident marked the first operational interception of a Barak 8 missile drone by a naval ship.
The UAVs were intercepted “at a safe distance from” the drilling rig, according to defense officials.
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Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah recently threatened Israel over plans to extract gas from the disputed offshore reserve, saying his organization was capable of preventing such action, including by force.
Energean works in the Karish oil field, off the coast of Israel, in 2020 (Screen capture/YouTube)
But the military said a preliminary investigation showed the drones did not pose a “real threat” at any point in their flight, indicating they were not armed and were instead being used for surveillance purposes or to prove they had the capability .
The terror group later confirmed it had shot down the three unarmed drones, saying they were meant to carry out a “reconnaissance mission” in the area.
Hezbollah added that the mission was carried out successfully and a “message was delivered”.
The IDF said the UAVs were “identified at an early stage and monitored throughout their flight by air control units” and “intercepted at the most appropriate operational point”.
“You have permission, take out the UAV now,” a senior officer is heard saying over the phone at the Navy’s operations headquarters in a video released by the IDF.
Defense Minister Benny Gantz responded to the incident by saying Israel was “ready to defend its infrastructure in the face of any threat.”
“The Hezbollah terrorist organization is undermining the ability of the Lebanese state to reach an agreement on the maritime border, which is essential for Lebanon’s economy and citizens,” he said in a statement released by his office.
“Israel will continue to protect its assets and considers itself obligated and entitled to act and respond to any attempt to harm it,” he added.
Lebanon and Israel, which do not have diplomatic relations and are considered adversaries, have been in indirect US-brokered talks for nearly two years to resolve a maritime border dispute.
Negotiations over the field have been frozen since last year after Lebanon tried to push its claim further into the area Israel claims as its own. Last month, the Biden administration said recent meetings between its energy envoy and Israeli and Lebanese officials had led to progress.
Israel and Lebanon do not have diplomatic relations and are technically at war. Each claims about 860 square kilometers (330 square miles) of the Mediterranean Sea as part of their exclusive economic zones.
Both Israel and Lebanon have economic interests in the territory, which contains lucrative natural gas. Lebanon, which has been facing an economic crisis since late 2019, sees resources as a potential way out of its current situation.
Also last month, the IDF held a major military exercise in Cyprus, simulating a ground offensive deep into Lebanon in a potential war against Iran-backed Hezbollah.
The terror group has long been a serious opponent of IS, with an estimated arsenal of nearly 150,000 missiles and rockets capable of reaching anywhere in Israel.
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