IOF on high alert in vicinity of gas fields: Israeli media
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Israeli media says the Israeli occupation forces are on high alert in the Mediterranean sea amid fears about any action that would jeopardize "Israel's" interests.
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American and Israeli occupation forces simulate taking over a merchant ship in the Mediterranean Sea as part of large naval exercise Nobel Rose in August 2019
The Israeli occupation forces over the past few months have been simulating various scenarios, including a missile attack on several targets in "Israel's" maritime economic zone, Israeli media reported on Tuesday, citing senior security sources.
The sources made the revelations this morning, following statements from Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, who warned the Israeli occupation against committing any provocations against Lebanon, saying there were no Israeli targets in the sea or on land that are out of the reach of the resistance's precision missiles.
"The security and military establishment in Israel raised the level of alert and preparedness in light of the issues and stalling of negotiations between Lebanon and Israel regarding the demarcation of the maritime borders, as well as accessing the Karish gas field and extracting oil from it in September," Israeli media said.
"To defend the gas fields and Israel's interests in the maritime economic zone, a multi-arm forum was formed, and it includes the Ministry of Security, the Navy, the Operations Directorate, the Northern Command, and the intelligence services to prepare for the possibility that Hezbollah tries to carry out a military or provocative operation to provoke Israel or affect gas extraction," they added.
"The head of the Operations Directorate Aharon Haliva allocated manpower and resources for the threats posed on the maritime arena and to defend Israel's economic waters," the security sources said.
90% of wheat exported via sea
Over the past few months, several maneuvers were carried out by the Navy, led by the Navy Chief of Staff, the Israeli Walla! newspaper reported. During the exercise, the various units of the IOF dealt with cruise missile attacks, precision missile attacks, and conventional missiles, the outlet added.
"In the upcoming month, a large-scale exercise is supposed to take place, simulating an extreme scenario in the maritime arena, and it will include technological enhancements."
"99% of Israeli imports take place via the sea, and the security establishment’s fear is not only over the gas rigs but also over Israel's maritime freedom of action," the outlet added.
"On average, 5900 ships dock on Israel's seaports, and 53% of them dock at the Haifa port, which is under threat from Hezbollah. Around 300,000 cars arrive at the seaports aboard ships every year, and 90% of Israeli wheat is exported via ships and other means of transportation," Israeli media reported.
The ships the Israeli occupation is deploying to are compatible with all the "threats" emanating from Lebanon, the Gaza Strip, and Syriam the outlet continued, clarifying that the Navy is trying to avoid all criticism regarding their readiness and preparedness, and they are saying that the Sa'ar 5 ship to "defend the Karish platform against all threats, and they will remain in the rig's vicinity for as long as they need to be."
"The Americans distracted Lebanon with negotiations while Israel explored for gas and is preparing to extract it," Sayyed Nasrallah stressed. "The United States pressured the Lebanese state into agreeing to the Hoff line, i.e., the Israeli proposal for the maritime borders."
The issue is not about Karish and Qana, Sayyed Nasrallah said. "It is about all of the oil and gas fields looted by Israel in Palestine's waters in exchange for Lebanon's rights."
