Israeli air force drones are patrolling the skies over the
country's gas fields in the Mediterranean Sea due to security
concerns, a defence official said.
The deployment comes in the wake of new threats from
Lebanon's militant Hezbollah group.
Israel and Lebanon have not agreed on a maritime border, and
Israel's recent gas discoveries in the Mediterranean have
created a new source of friction between the two countries,
which have fought repeatedly.
The Israeli official would not specify the nature of the
concerns or disclose when the unmanned aircraft began
operating or how many were in the air. He spoke on condition
of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the
operation of the drones.
Over the past two years, Israel has discovered two gas fields
thought to contain enough gas to keep it energy
self-sufficient for decades. Lebanon does not claim these
fields but energy companies think there might be gas in
nearby waters claimed by both countries.
The Iranian-backed Hezbollah, which dominates Lebanese
politics and battled Israel in a month-long war in 2006, has
threatened to use force to protect what it says is Lebanon's
natural wealth.
"We warn Israel not to touch this area or try to steal
Lebanon's resources," Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah
warned last month. "Those who harm our installations will
have their own installations harmed," he said.
Israel has said it would use force to defend its gas fields
if they are attacked.
In most cases, countries negotiate their maritime border, as
Israel did several months ago with Cyprus. Because Israel and
Lebanon have no diplomatic relations, both countries have
submitted competing boundaries to the United Nations.
Lebanon's proposal would place the border south of Israel's
line.
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