The gas fields of the Zionist regime are in the crosshairs of Hezbollah.
A year after the Al-Aqsa storm, the military strategy of the Zionist regime has taken on a more aggressive form, and this regime has concentrated its military power, especially on the northern borders, in the form of aerial bombardment and ground operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon. In this situation, the logic of the balance of power in West Asia leads the actors of the resistance axis to confront the power sources of the Zionist regime. One of the most important power sources of the Zionist regime is the energy (gas) fields located in the Eastern Mediterranean and is a determining factor among the power sources of this regime, especially in the economic field.
Energy is the new power source of the Zionist regime
The Zionist regime started producing natural gas from offshore fields in 2004, but the amount was less than the amount necessary for the regime’s self-sufficiency. In 2009-2013, several gas fields were discovered in the deep waters of the Mediterranean Sea. The most important fields are Tamar, Leviathan, Karish, and Northern Karish.
Tamar gas field
This field was discovered in 2013 with an estimated capacity of 282 billion cubic meters and now produces 887 million cubic feet of gas per day. This field is located 24 kilometers west of Ashkelon in the north of the Gaza Strip. This field was affected by the Al-Aqsa storm operation immediately after the 7th of October, and with its closure, the gas export of the Zionist regime to Egypt was suspended.
Leviathan gas field and Gaza war
Leviathan is the largest gas field of the Zionist regime and is located near the coast of Haifa. The current value of the reserves of this field is estimated at 12.5 trillion cubic meters. In 2018, Netanyahu described this achievement as “a great revolution” and emphasized that “Leviathan will provide Israel with clean energy that will replace coal and increase the capital of state funds by billions of dollars.” The operation of the first phase of this field started in 2020 and it produces 1054 million cubic feet of gas per day. The high capacity of this field made Tel Aviv sign a gas export agreement with Europe in June 2022.
After the start of the Al-Aqsa storm and the closure of Tamar Square, this square is the supplier of the Zionist regime’s exports. Independent journalist Felicity Arbuthnot wrote in a 2013 article: “While Israel claims this treasure is its own, much of this wealth lying at sea belongs to the people of Gaza.” Shortly after the start of the Al-Aqsa storm, the Hebrew website Mekomit published a 10-page confidential document from the Israeli Ministry of Intelligence, which refers to the forced transfer of more than 2.2 million people from Gaza to a refugee camp in North Sinai, Egypt. Some analysts consider this forced migration in line with the occupation regime’s attempt to own this gas field.