Lebanese Economist Ziad Nasereddine: Israel And U.S. Envoy Hochstein Must Offer A Solution That Will Allow Lebanon To Extract Gas; Otherwise, We Will Target Israel's Gas Fields, Refineries

Lebanese economic analyst Ziad Nasereddine said in a July 22, 2022 show on Al-Manar TV (Lebanon-HIzbullah) that if U.S. special envoy Amos Hochstein does not come to Lebanon with a solution to the maritime border dispute between Israel and Lebanon that would allow Lebanon to extract natural gas, then Israel will "pay the price", its gas fields and refineries will be targeted, and the situation could escalate into war. He also said that it would cost less for Lebanon to fight in a war than for it to reach starvation, bankruptcy, and internal fighting. For more about the maritime border dispute between Israel and Lebanon, see MEMRI Inquiry & Analysis Series No. 1640.

Ziad Nasereddine: "If [Amos Hochstein] comes to Lebanon in order to deceive us, the gas fields in occupied Palestine will be attacked. He should come to Lebanon with a solution that will allow us to extract natural gas in exchange for Israel doing the same. It should be more than just Line 23, and Lebanon will choose the line it wants. [The solution] should allow TotalEnergies to resume its work. Otherwise, the refineries in occupied Palestine will be attacked.

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"If he comes to Lebanon without a solution, Israel will pay the price. So the Israeli enemy needs to know that it must send a solution [with Hochstein], or else, the price will be high. Yes, it can escalate into war. Let's be clear about that. Matters can escalate into war. If they want to starve us, make us fight one another, and break our country to pieces, just because someone decided to bring Lebanon to starvation and bankruptcy — then no. There are other options that are better and cost less. I am telling you that the cost of a confrontation on the Mediterranean Sea is much lower than the cost of an internal [war]."