Greek Foreign Ministry summons Lebanese chargé d’affairs over gas vessel in Mediterranean

The Greek Foreign Ministry summoned Lebanon’s chargé d’affairs on Friday and informed her that the gas extraction vessel that arrived off the coast of Haifa in Israel this week is not owned by the Greek government, Lebanon’s Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib said.

Al Mayadeen TV reported that the Lebanese Foreign Ministry had been informed that Greek sailors were on board the vessel.

Earlier this week, a liquefied natural gas storage and production vessel arrived in a maritime area that Lebanon describes as “disputed”.

After the ship’s arrival, Lebanon warned Israel against “aggressive” action in disputed waters, though Israel has denied encroaching on Lebanese territory.

Lebanese caretaker prime minister Najib Mikati has accused Israel of “attempting … to incite a new crisis by transgressing on Lebanon’s water resources”.

He also said Israel was imposing a fait accompli on the disputed zone, which could “create tension that may have unpredictable implications”.

Lebanon-based open-source intelligence tracker IntelSky said the vessel was heading for the Karish natural gas reservoir, which Israel says falls within its “economic waters” in the Mediterranean.