Nasrallah threatens Israel with war if Lebanon is not allowed to exploit its gas resources

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in January 2019. AP - Hussein Malla

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The American mediator in the negotiations on the drawing of the borders between Lebanon and Israel, Amos Hochstein, is expected this Sunday, July 31 in Beirut.

This visit comes after Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah made explicit threats to resort to war if Lebanon was not allowed to exploit its gas resources at the same time as Israel.

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With our correspondent in Beirut,

A few hours before Amos Hochstein's plane landed in Beirut on Sunday, Hezbollah reiterated its threats against Israel.

The Shia party's television, al-Manar, aired a short video titled "In the Sights," showing what appears to be a missile launch pad.

The video lists the names of gas rigs and several floating gas production and extraction units active in Israeli waters, along with geographic coordinates.

The message echoes the Hezbollah leader's explicit threats to attack Israeli gas infrastructure

, located on the edge of Lebanon's exclusive economic zone.

Defuse the crisis

Twice since early July, Hassan Nasrallah has, for the first time, threatened war if Lebanon, which is in the throes of an unprecedented economic crisis, is not allowed to exploit its gas resources at the same time as Israel .

Threats from the Hezbollah leader prompted the United States to send its mediator back to the region to try to defuse the crisis.

Head of international energy affairs at the US State Department, Amos Hochstein is supposed to report to Lebanese leaders on Israel's response to Beirut's demands.

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• Lebanon

• Israel

• Energies