Israel’s agreement with Lebanon to resolve their maritime border dispute “staves off the possibility” of a conflict with the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah, Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said Wednesday.
The premier was briefing reporters hours after his cabinet expressed support for the US-brokered deal that aims to unlock potentially substantial offshore gas production for both Israel and Lebanon, who remain technically at war.
Lapid, a centrist interim prime minister seeking re-election on November 1, has faced fierce criticism for agreeing to a deal that opponents say could see new energy revenues reach Hezbollah, which holds huge influence in Lebanon.
“This agreement staves off the possibility of a military clash with Hezbollah,” Lapid told reporters.
“If we went out to battle, we would deal them a heavy blow. That being said, if it is possible to prevent war, it is the job of a responsible government to do so,” he added.
Israeli security experts say Hezbollah has an arsenal of thousands of missiles capable of hitting Israeli population centres.
Defence Minister Benny Gantz, speaking alongside Lapid, said the agreement “has the potential to reduce Iran’s influence on Lebanon”.
One friction point through the maritime border talks was control of the potentially oil-rich Qana field.
Lapid said that under the agreed terms, Israel “will receive approximately 17 percent of the revenues from the Lebanese gas field, the Qana-Sidon field, if and when they will open it.”
French energy giant Total has been licenced to explore the field.
Lapid said Israel “built this agreement with the Americans so that money from this field will not reach Hezbollah”, without specifying how the deal offers such assurances.
