GBC News: Israeli intelligence chief “Mossad” David Barnea said on Wednesday that the maritime border demarcation agreement with Lebanon “harms Hezbollah”, the Jerusalem Post newspaper reported. .
Barnea said Hezbollah does not prefer the agreement because it constitutes de facto recognition by the Lebanese state of Israel, which the group opposes.
The newspaper also quoted intelligence chiefs and the chief of staff in Israel as saying that “those who claim that the maritime border agreement is an achievement for Hezbollah do not understand the situation in Lebanon.”
In this context, Barnea added that Hezbollah only began to seriously address the issue of the maritime border agreement last May, when it realized that public opinion in Lebanon was in favor of the agreement.
The newspaper quoted Barnea as saying that “Hezbollah did not want an agreement with Israel, but realized that in the light of the internal political crisis in Lebanon, it has the opportunity to score points in public opinion.”
In the same context, Israeli national security adviser Eyal Holata said today in a press conference that “the agreement will stabilize the security situation facing Lebanon and is the first political agreement towards Lebanon in 40 years”.
He stressed that “the agreement will remove the threat from the Kreish platform and allow for calm and the absence of further allegations relating to maritime borders”, adding that “there is an Israeli security interest in strengthening the state of Lebanon because it weakens Hezbollah. “.
This is happening as the Israeli government approved, today, Wednesday, by a large majority, the principles of the agreement that delimits the maritime borders with Lebanon, reached between the two countries with American mediation, to be submitted to the Knesset for final approval. , according to a statement released by Prime Minister Yair Lapid’s office.
“The members of the government have expressed their support for the importance of the maritime agreement with Lebanon and for the need to reach it during this period,” the note read.
He added: “They also accepted the Prime Minister’s proposal to present it to the Knesset”, noting that “the relevant authorities examined during the government session the principles of the agreement and its impact on strengthening national security and regional stability.” and “the agreement and related explanatory notes” will be submitted to the Knesset.
“The agreement and the related explanatory notes will be presented to the Knesset this evening and all the deputies will be informed.” After 14 days, “the agreement is submitted for government approval”.
In turn, the undersecretary of the Israeli Ministry of Energy announced: “We will contract our stake in the Qana field with Total before the final ratification of the delimitation agreement”.
In turn, the Lebanese energy minister said preparations for gas exploration will take several months after the maritime agreement enters into force.
In turn, the head of the Lebanese Armed Forces Party, Samir Geagea, told Al-Jazeera that the agreement on the demarcation of the maritime border came late and that what happened was the best possible.
He added that the border demarcation is the result of American and European interests meeting with the interests of Lebanon and Israel.
And he indicated that Hezbollah’s intervention helped delay the deal, and what he describes as the deterrence equation is for domestic consumption.
In turn, the head of the Israeli National Security Council said the agreement on the demarcation of water borders is not compatible with Iran’s interests in Lebanon.
He added that there is an absolute security interest for Israel in the agreement that delimits the water borders with Lebanon.
He indicated that Israel gave up 10 kilometers of its territorial waters under the agreement with Lebanon.
He noted that the deal reduces the Lebanese government’s attachment to Hezbollah.
Arabic + Al Jazeera
