Israel says it will begin production at Karish gas rig even without Lebanon deal

Prime Minister Yair Lapid flies over the Karish gas field on July 19, 2022. (Amos Ben Gershom/GPO)
Prime Minister Yair Lapid flies over the Karish gas field on July 19, 2022. (Amos Ben Gershom/GPO)

Israel says that it intends to began producing gas at the Karish gas rig, regardless of whether a deal with Lebanon is reached over a longtime maritime border dispute between the two nations.

In a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office, Israel says it hopes and intends to negotiate a deal with Beirut ending the dispute over maritime areas claimed by both countries.

Such a deal, the statement says, should “serve the interests of the citizens of both countries. The agreement will contributed a lot to regional stability.”

Israel thanks US mediators for working to broker the deal. But the statement notes that the production of gas at the Karish rig “is not connected to the negotiations. The rig will begin producing gas without delays as soon as it becomes possible.”

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