Gantz in the background of the crisis in the negotiations with Lebanon: "We must prepare for a scenario of escalation in the north"

Gantz's words come against the backdrop of Israel's rejection of Lebanon's comments on the draft maritime border agreement.

The Minister of Defense added in his assessment of the current situation with the Chief of Staff and the Director General of his office that preparations must be made for both offensive and defensive efforts, given the developments in the negotiations on the maritime border

Amir Bohbot

06/10/2022

Thursday, October 6, 2022, 4:59 p.m. Updated: 5:10 p.m.

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In the video: Gantz threatens that if Hezbollah tries to sabotage the negotiations on the maritime border, all of Lebanon will pay the price (Go Live, Institute for Anti-Terrorism Policy at Reichman University)

Defense Minister Benny Gantz instructed today (Thursday) to prepare for a scenario of escalation in the north.

This, as part of the weekly assessment of the situation with the participation of the Chief of Staff, the Director General of the Ministry of Defense and the head of the Operations Division.

Gantz added that preparations must be made for both offensive and defensive efforts, given the developments in the negotiations on the maritime border.

Gantz's words come against the backdrop of Israel's rejection of Lebanon's comments on the draft maritime border agreement.

A senior political official said that the Lebanese comments included "fundamental and new changes" in the wording of the agreement that Israel is not ready to accept.

Shark rig (photo: official website, Energian company)

This is the first significant crisis in the negotiations on the maritime border in recent months and it comes at a critical point for the agreement. An explosion now in the talks could lead to a security escalation between Israel and Hezbollah on the northern border. During the night there was a conversation between the American envoy Amos Hochstein, who mediates between Israel and Lebanon, and the adviser for national security in Prime Minister Eyal Hulta's office. During the conversation, Hochstein updated on the Lebanese comments regarding the draft of the agreement.

Senior Israeli officials said that the fundamental change that Lebanon demanded to be included in the wording of the agreement concerns the recognition of the Israeli "dash line" as an international border. This is an Israeli security interest that Israel has placed in the past year as a "red line" without which there will be no agreement. The Lebanese stated that they do not recognize the "Mosavat Line" and its legitimacy and wanted to replace the words "status quo" in relation to the "Mosavat Line" with the words "de facto"- a term whose legal meaning is weaker and which may leave an opening for Lebanese lawsuits on the subject in the future.

More in Walla!

Crisis in talks on the maritime border: Israel rejects Lebanon's comments on the draft agreement

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The rig in the background of Prime Minister Lapid, in July (photo: official website, Amos Ben Gershom/L.A.M.)

Israel unilaterally placed the "line of buoys" on the coast of Rosh Hankara after the withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000. The line starts from the beach in the border area of ​​Rosh Hankara and stretches west about five kilometers into the Mediterranean Sea.

Senior Israeli officials emphasize that anchoring the "line of buoys" as an international border is extremely important for reasons security, because until today it was a line up to which Israel acted unilaterally, and there was international legitimacy for the Lebanese side to challenge it.

In addition, if the "floating line" were to move south from where it is today, this would allow a line of sight and observation from the Lebanese side towards the coastline of northern Israel.

The Lebanese also objected to the clause in the agreement that gives Israel a "veto" on the start of gas exploration in the disputed area - this was also a critical point for Israel.

According to this section, until an agreement is signed between Israel and the French "Total" company regarding the financial compensation that Israel will receive from the gas profits - no drilling will begin on the Lebanese side.

The Lebanese demanded that the gas explorations begin regardless of the agreements between Israel and the "Total" company and that they would have the right to oppose any agreement between Israel and "Total".

Western diplomats stated that the American mediator believes that the Lebanese comments are not essential and that they should not prevent reaching an agreement.

Discussions were held in Israel this morning on the question of whether the Lebanese demands constitute a fundamental change to the agreement.

At the end of the discussions, it was decided that contrary to Hochstein's position, Israel believes that the Lebanese comments prevent reaching an agreement.

A political source said that Prime Minister Yair Lapid was informed of the new substantial changes that Lebanon is seeking to make in the agreement, and ordered the negotiating team to reject them.

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