Israel signs 'secret agreement' to supply natural gas to Lebanon via Jordan: Report

Israel has secretly signed an agreement to help Lebanon by indirectly pumping natural gas to the crisis-hit country, local media reports claimed. Amos Hochstein, Washington's Special Envoy and Coordinator for International Energy Affairs (IEA), orchestrated the pact, which was inked in secrecy on Saturday, January 15, The Times of Israel reported, citing Channel 12 news. As per the deal, Israel will deliver gas to Jordan from the offshore Leviathan field. It will then be transported to Syria and then to Lebanon, the report added. 

The move, however, will necessitate the maintenance and extension of a gas pipeline that runs from Syria to Lebanon, which might take a few years. According to the report, the US approved the pact, which was also coordinated with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The deal also intends to give Lebanon an alternative to Iran as it strives to recover from a worsening economic crisis. 

Lebanon suffers its worst-ever financial crisis

With a currency that has lost roughly 90% of its value, people's assets stranded in banks, and qualified labour emigrating in large numbers, the country of six million is undergoing its worst-ever financial crisis. The World Bank has classified it as one of the most catastrophic global economic downturns since the 1850s, as per the Times of Israel report. Severe gasoline shortages have led to power outages and hours-long lines at gas stations in the Western Asian country. 

Earlier in August last year, Hassan Nasrallah, the head of Hezbollah, declared that Iran will transfer petroleum to Lebanon to help alleviate the problem. A month later, the first Iranian oil ship commissioned by Hezbollah arrived in the Syrian port of Baniyas. The diesel was then transferred to Syrian storage facilities before being brought overland by tankers, where it was greeted with exuberant gunfire, the report stated.

Hezbollah's shipments in violation of country's sovereignty: Lebanese PM

Hezbollah, which has been accused of running a state-within-a-state, has been fighting alongside government forces in Syria's civil conflict. Away from established border crossings, it manages its own crossing sites along the Lebanon-Syria border. According to Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, the shipments are in violation of the country's sovereignty and are not permitted by his government. However, Israel has stated that it will play no role in interfering with the shipments, as per the Israeli media outlet. 

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