The Jewish state’s operation extends to Lebanese territorial waters, which are believed to contain energy resources
Israel’s latest land grab is dashing Lebanon’s hopes of tapping offshore gas to solve its persistent energy shortage. Ocean energy possibilities were the focus of the 2022 deal along the disputed border between the two countries.
On Sunday, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) published a map “Forward Defense Line Area” in southern Lebanon – effectively an occupation zone that some officials in West Jerusalem said needed to be eliminated for Israeli national security. The claimed area extends into the sea, cutting through an approximately 9 km wide strip of Lebanese territorial waters.
⭕️ Revealed: The forward defense line and the area in which IDF soldiers are operating in compliance with the ceasefire agreement. 5 divisions are working together south of the forward defense line in southern Lebanon to destroy Hezbollah’s terrorist infrastructure… pic.twitter.com/eibA2pgDHe
– Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) 19 April 2026
In 2022, US-brokered talks between Israel and Lebanon ended a long-running dispute over their maritime border, largely motivated by the potential presence of offshore natural gas fields in the disputed area. Unlike Israel, Lebanon has yet to take advantage of that wealth. However, the IDF’s move makes the prospects for the Euro-Qatari grouping announced in January highly unlikely.
Are there offshore gas fields in Lebanon?
Israel’s investment in offshore exploration over the past two decades has borne fruit with the discoveries of the Tamar, Dalit, Leviathan, Dolphin, Tanin, Aphrodite, Karish and Tamar Southwest gas fields. The gas is trapped beneath a regional geological structure, with Israel, Egypt and Cyprus exploiting the reserves.
The Karish area is located close to the Lebanese border, and there were strong indications that a larger area was located to the north-east. Under the 2022 agreement, Lebanon gave up its claim to a portion of Karish, but gained the opportunity to prospect in the Qana area, as the agreement resolved the legal status of potential discoveries.
Beirut had pinned great hopes on finding reserves, which then-Energy Minister Walid Fayyad described as equivalent to a 20-year supply of electricity for Lebanon.
Is Lebanon benefiting from maritime wealth?
Offshore gas exploration in Lebanon started in 2017 and is led by Total. The French energy giant not only has the technical expertise, but can also handle royalty payments to West Jerusalem, making a direct transaction between Israel and Lebanon unnecessary. The company initially partnered with Italy’s Eni and Russia’s Novatek, although Qatar Energy replaced them in late 2022.
Some things to note:• There is no Kana gas field. When they drilled well Kana 31/1 (it was a dry hole) there were no discoveries, resulting in the abandonment of the Kana Prospect in Block 9. • What the map does not show in Qt, and what is more important, is… https://t.co/lKdbm7pYvfpic.twitter.com/djVSxQi7FL
– Nicolas Sawaya (@sawaya_nicolas) 20 April 2026
Lebanon received no gas benefits from the 2022 deal. While pumping at Karish began only four days after the agreement was announced, no reserves were found at Qana. However, new hope arose in January, when Total reported plans to explore in an area off the coast.
“Although the drilling of the Qana well on Block 9 did not produce positive results, we remain committed to advancing our exploration activities in Lebanon.” CEO Patrick Pouyen said. We will now focus our efforts on Block 8.”
The Journal of Petroleum Technology (JPT) said of the announcement that only Block 9 of the Lebanese acreage lacks 3D seismic data, as studies have been hampered by a border dispute.
When can Lebanon extract gas?
JPT’s claim that the environments of the UK North Sea region and Lebanon’s EastMed region are harsh in very different ways is an understatement. Israel has been at war with Lebanon for decades – formally since the creation of the Jewish state in 1948 – and the ongoing hostilities are causing damage in more direct ways.
More than a million people in Lebanon have requested relief after being displaced, as Israel attacked densely populated areas and sought to evacuate a significant portion of its territory. More than 2,300 deaths have been recorded since March 2, including more than 300 in attacks on April 8 in more than 150 locations. Many commentators described the attacks as an attempt to derail the ceasefire announced by the US and Iran, which also called for a suspension of military operations in Lebanon.
The destruction also adds to the cost Lebanon has been paying since October 2023, when a Hamas attack on Israel set the Middle East on fire. According to World Bank estimates, Lebanon suffered $3.4 billion in material damage and $5.1 billion in economic losses in the first year of the conflict.
The US-Israel war with Iran is set to reshape global energy trade in some way or the other. Apparently West Jerusalem is now ensuring that there will be no offshore ray of hope for Lebanon.
