The July 2 launch of Hezbollah's unarmed drones at the Karish gas field is first and foremost a cognitive move, designed to send a message to both Israel and the Lebanese.
To Israel, the goal was deterrent: to illustrate Hezbollah’s determination vis-à-vis Israel in light of reports of progress in negotiations between Israel and Lebanon, with American mediation, while giving practical effect to Nasrallah's threats in a speech about a month ago, in which he stated he could prevent the Karish gas field from operating. At the same time, the move is about establishing the important role of Hezbollah as "defender of Lebanon" to the Lebanese, especially these days when there are growing voices in Lebanon opposing the continued preservation of the organization's independent military force and its participation in the new government, which the state leadership is laboring to form.
On the other hand, the shooting down of drones by the IDF illustrates Israel's determination and ability to defend the gas rig and advance the plan to start producing gas from the Karish field in the last quarter of 2022, given the fact that this field is located entirely in Israel's economic waters. This Israeli position was supported by reports of Lebanon's withdrawal of its demands in talks with the US mediator (June 13-14) for an area where part of the field is located. Hence, Hezbollah is in a problematic position, acting against Lebanon's interests and hindering efforts to generate economic profit for a collapsing Lebanon, while an international effort is underway to assist it.
As far as Israel is concerned, announcement by the organization following the successful interception that the drones were "on a reconnaissance mission" allows it to avoid a response that will escalate on the ground, and settle for a response on other levels, all the while highlighting Hezbollah's negative contribution to the Lebanese economy by its attempts to torpedo any possibility of concluding negotiations with Israel on the issue.
The July 2 launch of Hezbollah's unarmed drones at the Karish gas field is first and foremost a cognitive move, designed to send a message to both Israel and the Lebanese.
To Israel, the goal was deterrent: to illustrate Hezbollah’s determination vis-à-vis Israel in light of reports of progress in negotiations between Israel and Lebanon, with American mediation, while giving practical effect to Nasrallah's threats in a speech about a month ago, in which he stated he could prevent the Karish gas field from operating. At the same time, the move is about establishing the important role of Hezbollah as "defender of Lebanon" to the Lebanese, especially these days when there are growing voices in Lebanon opposing the continued preservation of the organization's independent military force and its participation in the new government, which the state leadership is laboring to form.
On the other hand, the shooting down of drones by the IDF illustrates Israel's determination and ability to defend the gas rig and advance the plan to start producing gas from the Karish field in the last quarter of 2022, given the fact that this field is located entirely in Israel's economic waters. This Israeli position was supported by reports of Lebanon's withdrawal of its demands in talks with the US mediator (June 13-14) for an area where part of the field is located. Hence, Hezbollah is in a problematic position, acting against Lebanon's interests and hindering efforts to generate economic profit for a collapsing Lebanon, while an international effort is underway to assist it.
As far as Israel is concerned, announcement by the organization following the successful interception that the drones were "on a reconnaissance mission" allows it to avoid a response that will escalate on the ground, and settle for a response on other levels, all the while highlighting Hezbollah's negative contribution to the Lebanese economy by its attempts to torpedo any possibility of concluding negotiations with Israel on the issue.