Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah stressed on Saturday that none will be able to extract the maritime oil and gas if Lebanon is prevented from doing that, adding that this rule will govern the upcoming stage.
In a televised speech, Sayyed Nasrallah indicated that who imposed on the United States and ‘Israel’ the maritime deal can be the guarantee in this regard.
Sayyed Nasrallah called for trusting God and the Resistance, underling the importance of the state stance and the popular support to reach the major maritime victory.
Sayyed Nasrallah hailed the major achievement of the demarcation, adding that the UK and France delineated in 1923 the Lebanese-Palestinian border, which has become since then internationally acknowledged.
His eminence noted that the demarcation of the borders was abandoned during the twentieth century, pointing out that, after 2000, several studies conducted by certain states confirmed Lebanon has offshore oil and gas resources, which necessitated maritime border demarcation.
“This fortune has become a bad need for the Lebanese state and people.”
Sayyed Nasrallah stressed that the Zionist entity considers that its borders are from the Nile to the Euphrates, and it does not initially recognize borders, and considers that its borders are where its strength and might reach.
Sayyed Nasrallah explained the legal difference between the territorial waters (TW), the Contiguous Zone (CZ), and the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), showing a map that displays them with respect to Lebanon.
Hezbollah leader then displayed a map that shows the area (around 879 square kilometers) which Lebanon restored after the maritime agreement and lies between line 1 and line 23.
Sayyed Nasrallah reiterated that Hezbollah has never interfered in identifying the borders, adding that the Resistance is just responsible for liberating what the Lebanese state classifies as occupied by the Israeli enemy.
Sayyed Nasrallah also called on the Lebanese groups which voiced objections to the agreement to continue their struggle to reach line 29 without swearing and accusing others of betrayal, adding that they should have started their struggle in 2011 when the governmental decree was issued.
Hezbollah Chief recalled that, between 2009 and 2010, the Lebanese officials agreed to task House Speaker Nabih Berri with leading the negotiations, adding that he did not relinquish even a glass of the Lebanese water.
To know more about maritime negotiation lines, Al-Manar prepared in August a detailed report on the issue.
Sayyed Nasrallah indicated that the first US mediator Frederick Hof proposed that Lebanon restores only 55% of its maritime rights, adding that Speaker Berri did not make any concession in this regard.
“The Resistance wasn’t asked to do anything before the end of the negotiations, but we were aware of what is going on.
According to Sayyed Nasrallah, the indirect maritime talks in Naqoura reached a deadlock in light of the US pressures on Lebanon to accept Hof’s proposal.
Sayyed Nasrallah added that Biden’s administration appointed Amos Hochstein as a new mediator, noting that his proposals were better than Hof’s ones, yet did not match the Lebanese demands in the beginning.
Hezbollah leader recalled that the Lebanese officials considered the advent of the Greek ship to start extracting oil from Karish field is an aggression on Lebanon, emphasizing that the Resistance, accordingly, vowed to prevent the Israeli enemy from extracting gas before the maritime border demarcation.
“All fields and facilities in the occupied Palestinian waters are within reach of the missiles and drones of the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon.”
Due to the unified stance of the Lebanese officials and Hezbollah military readiness to confront all the choices, the Israeli enemy face a dilemma of either stopping gas extraction from Karish or engaging in a war, according to Sayyed Nasrallah, who pointed out that this dilemma pushed the Zionists to select the indirect negotiation as a solution.
Sayyed Nasrallah said that the negotiations used to face a deadlock at some points, adding that a comprehensive war was about to break out.
The US administration was pressured by the repercussions of the Russian-Ukrainian war and wanted to reach a settlement for the maritime dispute by all means, according to Sayyed Nasrallah.
Despite the heavy pressures on the Lebanese negotiators, Lebanon managed to liberate a large area and all the gas blocks till line 23, and the firms, tasked by the Lebanese authorities, can start their operations, Sayyed Nasrallah noted.
“Lebanon has attained the important achievement of lifting the US ban on the oil companies’ operation in the Lebanese waters. Lebanon remained defiant in the face of the American pressures and the economic crisis, rejected the Hof Line, obtained Line 23 which it demanded, and insisted to obtain all maritime blocks in its exclusive zone, which it obtained indeed.”
Hezbollah leader displayed the only remaining issue that has not been resolved yet as Lebanon expressed reservation about it, adding that the Israeli enemy has positioned a line of buoys that admits a different territorial position.
The following map shows the Israeli line of buoys that violates the Lebanese borders.
Sayyed Nasrallah hailed the Resistance threats, the people support and the firmness of the official stance which challenged the foreign pressures contributed to the achievement.
Lebanon was on the verge of a war, but the Israeli enemy backed off, according to Sayyed Nasrallah, who hailed Lebanon’s wisdom and strength in face of the threats of the Israeli enemy and the United States.
Sayyed Nasrallah maintained that the Israeli enemy did not obtain any security guarantees as a result of the agreement, adding that the Lebanese signature was placed on a separate copy of the agreement and denying any trace of normalization in all the procedures.
The Resistance Leader said, “We have liberated this region and the freedom to work, and companies can go and work seriously.”
Sayyed Nasrallah indicated that the Israeli enemy by the Resistance readiness to engage in an all-out war, adding that the Zionists think that Hezbollah has been deterred since 2006 war and due to the socioeconomic crisis storming Lebanon.
When the Resistance launched the drones over Karish, the Israelis took its threats seriously, according to Sayyed Nasrallah.
Sayyed Nasrallah affirmed that Hezbollah is after Lebanon’s peace and security, adding that, however, when the the Lebanese interests impose breaking the rules of engagement, the Resistance will do.
In this concern, Sayyed Nasrallah warned the Israeli enemy against miscalculating Hezbollah stance and thinking that it is deterred.
Sayyed Nasrallah called on the Lebanese authorities to follow up the gas extraction issue seriously as Lebanon lost a long time during the negotiations, stressing that the Resistance will guarantee Lebanon’s rights by preventing the enemy from extracting gas if Lebanon is prevented from doing so.
According to Sayyed Nasrallah, the Palestinian resistance contributed to Lebanon’s maritime victory by engaging in clashes with the Zionist enemy across the occupied West Bank, adding that this forces the Israeli enemy to deploy half of its troops in the WB.
Sayyed Nasrallah added that European need for the Middle East gas and the readiness of the Resistance allies in the region (Yemen, Iraq, Palestine, Syria) to support Hezbollah in the war contributed also to the victory.
Sayyed Nasrallah also maintained Israel’s inability to engage in a war due to the internal conflicts, the economic aspects of the gas extraction and other reasons imposed on the occupation entity to accept the agreement.
Sayyed Nasrallah underscored that all the Lebanese must celebrate reaching this achievement, warning against underestimating the efforts of any party in this regard.
Sayyed Nasrallah indicated that Amal Movement voiced clearly its readiness to confront any Israeli war on Lebanon if the negotiations fail, hailing this stance as a contribution to the victory.
Sayyed Nasrallah started his speech by offering condolences on the death of the two clerics Sheikh Ismail Khatib as well as Sheikh Hussein Abdullah and congratulating Palestine’s Islamic Jihad Movement on martyrdom anniversary of Leader Fathi Shaqaqi.
Sayyed Nasrallah also stressed that the heavy participation in Shiraz martyrs funeral confirms Iranians’ decision to confront foreign sedition conspiracy.
Source: Al-Manar English Website
