Israel is preparing for a potential conflict with Lebanon if the maritime border demarcation agreement fails

On Thursday, the Israeli cabinet authorized Prime Minister Yair Lapid and Defense Minister Benny Gantz to manage a potential conflict with Lebanon on the northern border, in the event that agreements demarcating the maritime border with Lebanon fail.

The Israeli Kan TV channel reported that the cabinet “held a three-and-a-half-hour session on Thursday evening regarding preparations for a possible escalation in the wake of recent developments regarding maritime border demarcation agreements between Israel and Lebanon, which resulted in the cabinet authorizing the Lapid government to manage a possible escalation on the northern border, if it happens.

According to the report, “The Israeli government was allowed to develop a scenario of escalation on the northern border without the need for the cabinet to convene again”.

The meeting was attended by security officials, including the heads of the Mossad and Shin Bet.

An unnamed Israeli official said that the maritime border demarcation agreements with Lebanon were “on his deathbed, so we must prepare for confrontation”.

According to the official, “among the cabinet’s decisions is to proceed with the extraction of gas from the Karish facility, regardless of the agreement”.

The Israeli Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper indicated that a number of the cabinet ministers who participated in the session were confused.

On the one hand, there is talk of preparing for an escalation, and on the other hand, the negotiations did not fully take place.

Washington is putting pressure over Lebanon to return to the original agreement before adding its comments on it.

Earlier Thursday, Israeli defense minister, Beni Gantz instructed the army to prepare for any possible tension on the northern border.

On Thursday, Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati said that the demarcation of his country’s maritime borders with Israel is on the verge of completion, considering that by doing so, we will avoid a definite war in the region.

Lapid rejected the Lebanese comments on the draft border demarcation agreement between the two countries, according to an Israeli source.

Last week, Israel received a final agreement form from the American mediator, Hochstein.

Lebanon and Israel are quarreling over a sea rich in oil and gas in the Mediterranean, with an area of ​​860 square kilometers, and Washington is mediating indirect negotiations between them to settle the dispute and demarcate the border.

In October 2020, indirect negotiations began between Beirut and Tel Aviv, under the auspices of the United Nations, with the aim of demarcating the borders, and five rounds were held, the last of which was in May 2021, then stopped as a result of fundamental differences before being resumed.