New annexation reveals Israel's true goals in Lebanon

Israel, which has rushed to occupy Lebanon's legitimate territory, is facing yet another key objective. A large natural gas field has been discovered off the coast of Lebanon, on the Mediterranean shelf. Now Israel intends not only to annex Lebanon's southern regions but also to seize its gas wealth. Where is the UN? Where is international law?

The Israel Army has released a map of the new security zone that is being set up inside Lebanon. The zone includes a strip of land along the border and also appears to include a maritime buffer zone, ‘The Jerusalem Post’ writes.

Dünya Başol, a PhD at Bar Ilan University’s Middle Eastern Studies, notes that “Israel's new forward security zone in Lebanon isn't purely military. Look at the maps, it includes the Qana gas field. That's not incidental… Even wealthy states have to finance their wars, and gas fields help. If the occupation of this zone is meant to last, it increasingly looks that way. Qana is an obvious way to fund it.”

Considering the fact that Israel’s ambassador to Washington recently met the Lebanese ambassador with US mediation, there is a lot of talk again about Israel and Lebanon possibly coming to more deals. Any deal appears unlikely.

Lebanon wanted to secure a maritime deal so it could explore for natural gas off the coast. Israel has found a lot of gas reserves off the coast, and this has had a transformative effect. Lebanon wanted to move forward.

Now Israel appears to be taking control over areas that come under the deal. Elai Rettig, an Assistant Professor in Energy Politics at Bar-Ilan University, and Senior Researcher at the BESA Center points out that it is “worth mentioning that occupation does not give the occupying force the rights to a country’s exclusive economic zone or the resources within it.

So no international energy company would agree to explore for gas in the area under Israeli control, and Israel does not have its own energy company able to explore gas in deep water.”

Contrary to the lamentations, Israel and the United States did not lose the war to Iran. Who decided that the temporary survival of a regime constitutes a victory?

However, Israel did lose, a stinging and worrying loss, in the war being waged within the United States, ‘Israel Hayom’ stresses.

The American polling tradition provides a very broad perspective. Since the measurement of support for Israel began, there have never been more Americans who view it in an unfavorable light than a favorable one. This happened for the first time this year: 48 percent versus 46 percent.

The percentage of Israel's supporters dropped to a low not seen since 1989, and the percentage of detractors hit an all-time high.

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