Israel says it shoots down Hezbollah drones toward Mediterranean

Israeli military said it had shot down three unmanned aircraft launched by the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah that were heading towards an area where an Israeli gas platform was recently installed in the Mediterranean Sea.

The launch of the aircraft was an attempt by Hezbollah to influence US-brokered negotiations between Israel and Lebanon over their maritime border, an area that is rich in natural gas.

The Israeli military said the aircraft had been seen early on and did not pose an imminent threat, but the incident drew a stern warning from Israel's caretaker prime minister, Yair Lapid.

I stand before you at this moment and say to everyone seeking our demise, from Gaza to Tehran, from the shores of Lebanon to Syria, don't test us, Mr Lapid said in his first address to the nation since taking office on Friday.

Israel set up a gas rig in the Karish field last month, which Israel said is within part of its internationally recognised economic waters.

Lebanon claimed it was in disputed waters.

Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said in a televised speech that Hezbollah had the capacity to stop the enemy from beginning to extract from Karish, and all the enemy's actions will not be able to protect this ship. Hezbollah issued a short statement on Saturday, confirming that it had launched three unarmed drones toward the disputed maritime issue over the Karish field on a reconnaissance mission.

Israel and Hezbollah are bitter enemies that fought a month-long war in the summer of 2006.

Israel considers the Iranian-backed Lebanese group its most serious immediate threat, estimating it has some 150,000 rockets and missiles aimed at Israel.

The US said last week that mediator Amos Hochstein had had conversations with the Israeli and Lebanese sides.

The exchanges were productive and advanced the goal of narrowing differences between the two sides. His office said last week that the United States will remain engaged with parties in the days and weeks ahead.

Both countries, which have been officially at war since Israel's creation in 1948, claim some 860 square kilometres of the Mediterranean Sea.

Lebanon wants to exploit offshore gas reserves as it grapples with the worst economic crisis in its modern history.

On Saturday, Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati told reporters that Lebanon received encouraging information about the border dispute but refused to comment further, saying Beirut was waiting for the written response to the suggestions by the Lebanese side.