Footage of a drone launched by Hezbollah toward the Karish field, July 2, 2022 (AFP)

Israeli media reported that the three drones operated by Hezbollah as they headed for the Karish natural gas field were not carrying weapons, but rather a message of "you have to submit to our demands," stressing that “Israel” is not after escalation with Hezbollah, yet it holds its ground.

Israeli Walla! news website said fear is prevalent in the security establishment of further attacks by Hezbollah.

The website reported that three unmanned Hezbollah aircraft, which made their way toward Karish field, were successfully intercepted. Hezbollah’s actions, according to Haaretz, appear to be more of a declaration of intent.

The website said that Hezbollah's operation entails "important repercussions on the ongoing negotiations of the demarcation of maritime borders and the size of the Israeli forces deployed to protect the Karish gas-drilling platform and handle other threats,” not to mention stripping the workers at the Karish gas platform of any sense of security, having gotten a taste of what Hezbollah is capable of once the Lebanese Resistance party decides to alter the goal of the drones from surveillance to attack and even to launching missiles against the platform.

Hezbollah’s clear message, according to Israeli media, is: We are capable of sending drones, but there are other means that can be armed and explosive as they head to the gas-drilling platform when it is actually drilling.

Israeli media further indicated that “Hezbollah has much more capabilities than those demonstrated yesterday, especially that the main goal was to deliver a message and not necessarily to inflict harm,” adding that “the last word in the battle over the economic waters has not yet been said, and indirect negotiations are expected to continue.”

"Protecting the Karish platform, a platform located about 100 kilometers off of the shore, is far more complicated than protecting the Leviathan platform, for example, which is ten kilometers off of the shore."

Yesterday, Lebanese Resistance movement Hezbollah released a statement on the three UAVs sent on a recon mission over the Karish gas field, before being shot down by Israeli occupation forces.

The statement reads:

"On the afternoon of Saturday 2/7/2022, the martyrs Jamil Skaf and Mahdi Yaghi groups launched three unarmed UAVs of various sizes toward the disputed region of the Karish gas field on a reconnaissance mission. The mission was completed and the message was delivered. 'And victory is only from God. Indeed, God is Exalted in Might.'

Islamic Resistance, Saturday 2/7/2022"

Israeli occupation forces said that they shot down the three UAVs off the Mediterranean coast. One of the UAVs was downed by an F16 fighter jet, and the other two by Barak missiles launched from the Saar 5 Class Corvette, according to a statement by the IOF.