Israeli military officials are celebrating the imminent arrival of German missile boats, which they claim are designed to protect the Israeli natural gas industry from future attacks by the Lebanese resistance group Hezbollah.
The Israeli navy is preparing to receive the long-delayed “next generation of missile boats”, first shipment of which is scheduled to arrive by early December, the Associated Press reported on Monday.
Israeli navy prepares for arrival of new upgraded warships
First Sa'ar 6 corvette, the INS Magen, is scheduled to arrive in Israel by early December, with three more of the German-made corvettes scheduled to arrive over the next two yearshttps://t.co/Omn7eVtwnY pic.twitter.com/UGSlvCQoVU
— Harry Boone (@towersight) October 3, 2020
The first of four installments of the German-made corvettes is known as “Project Magen”. The rest, according to AP, citing Israeli sources, will arrive over a period of two years.
Israel has an estimated 200-mile exclusive economic zone, dominated by the natural gas industry. Recent finds have elevated Israel from being an importer to a major regional exporter of natural gas, especially through the offshore Leviathan gas field.
Hezbollah, the Lebanese resistance group that dislodged Israel from South Lebanon in 2000, ending an occupation that lasted 18 years, has threatened that, in the case of a new Israeli aggression on Lebanon, it is ready to hit strategic Israeli targets.
As Washington retreats, Eastern Mediterranean conflict further marginalises NATO | Opinion by: Ramzy Baroud https://t.co/m2LivPwtqv
— Middle East Monitor (@MiddleEastMnt) September 8, 2020
In preparation for such an eventuality, Israel has prepared a number of vessels, commonly known as “Saar 6”, designated specifically to protect the natural gas industry.
Germany, which has already supplied Israel with several submarines for military purposes, is one of the leading providers of Israeli naval defense technology.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
