Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid will not make concessions to accommodate Lebanese comments on a compromise proposed by the United States on its sea border, a high-ranking government representative said.
“Lapid will not make any compromises on security issues, even if that means that there will be no agreement in the foreseeable future,” the official said.
The security Cabinet was meeting on Thursday to discuss the compromise amid concerns that a collapse in the negotiations could raise regional tensions.
U.S. negotiator Amos Hochstein previously delivered the proposal to both sides, which are officially in a state of war, following two years of talks.
The Lebanese amendments communicated to the U.S. a few days ago have not been made public, but concerns have been expressed by the Israeli opposition that the changes would represent concessions to the Hezbollah Shiite militia active in Lebanon.
The decades-long border conflict concerns 860 square kilometres off the coast claimed by both sides as an exclusive economic zone.
It has been exacerbated by the discovery of natural gas.
A suggested compromise is that Lebanon exploits the Qana field and Israel the Karish field.
Israeli forces shot down a number of Hezbollah drones over the Karish platform at the beginning of July.
The Israeli government representative said Israel would start exploiting the Karish field as soon as possible.
“If Hezbollah or anyone else tries to damage the Karish field, or threatens us, talks on the sea border will be halted immediately.”
Israelis go to the polls in parliamentary elections on Nov. 1.