'Israel' to surrender in favor of border agreement: Israeli media
An Israeli expert on Arab affairs says the Israeli military leadership wants to avoid a military confrontation with Hezbollah.
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Mediterranean Sea
An Israeli expert on Arab affairs, Yoni Ben Menachem, considered Friday that "Hezbollah estimates that Israel is interested in an agreement" with Lebanon on the maritime border demarcation.
On Twitter, Ben Menachem said the Israeli occupation "will surrender in the end because it is under pressure to produce natural gas, so it should be given time to come down from the tree and not rush into a military action."
The Israeli expert claimed that Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah estimated that American pressure to complete the agreement will do its job, adding that the Israeli military leadership wants to avoid a military confrontation with Hezbollah.
Ben Menachem also reported that Mossad chief David Barnea told Israeli cabinet ministers that Sayyed Nasrallah publicly vowed to prevent "Israel" from extracting gas from the Karish platform if no agreement was reached, pointing out that there is fear of a "symbolic" military operation by Hezbollah.
Lebanon responds to 'Israel' rebuff of maritime demands
This comes after an Israeli official said Thursday that the Israeli occupation rejected revisions requested by Lebanon to the US-mediated border demarcation proposal.
In response, Lebanese President Michel Aoun underlined that Lebanon had proposed the changes to the US-mediated deal with its rights to extract oil in its exclusive economic zone in mind.
Similarly, Abbas Ibrahim, Lebanese Security General Director General and one of the officials on Lebanon's negotiating team, said that Lebanon is not concerned with the Israeli response to the proposal on the demarcation of the maritime borders between Beirut and "Tel Aviv".
The Lebanese official underlined that US mediator Amos was responsible for dealing with the occupation's response to Lebanon.
"The Israeli's response means nothing to us as Lebanon," and Beirut "is waiting for the US negotiator to assume his responsibilities," he said. As long as Lebanon has a united front, it will stand strong, Ibrahim stressed.
Israeli media considered Thursday that the Lebanese maritime border agreement strengthens Hezbollah's position inside Lebanon, stressing that Hezbollah has once again proven that it can achieve its political and strategic goals in Lebanon and the region thanks to its military strength that cannot be dissuaded or weakened.
Read more: Israeli media: Maritime deal united Lebanese, divided Israelis
Maritime deal 'make or break'
In the same context, top Lebanese negotiator Elias Bou Saab told Reuters that the US-brokered talks between Beirut and "Tel Aviv" were at a "make or break" point after the latter rejected the negotiations.
The deal "is 90% done, but the remaining 10% could make it or break it," Bou Saab indicated, adding that he had been in constant contact with US mediator Amos Hochstein.
This comes after Lebanon received the written proposal from the US mediator Amos Hochstein through US Ambassador Dorothy Shea regarding the demarcation of maritime borders.
It is noteworthy that the Lebanese Resistance, Hezbollah, has been a very effective factor in bringing the Israelis to the indirect negotiations table after it announced from day one that it has the Lebanese government's back in its righteous and sovereign claims.
Extraction of gas from Karish without guarantees to Lebanon that it will be able to explore and extract its maritime resources has been declared a red-line by Hezbollah since the negotiations kicked off, with the Israeli military receiving the threats loud and clear and increasing preparation to anticipate operations against the gas platform by the Resistance.
