Lebanese authorities expect to receive an upgraded proposal on the disputed Karish gas field, where Israel has set up a drilling rig, the local Al-Akhbar daily reported on Wednesday. According to the daily, which is affiliated with Hezbollah, the proposal could come as soon as this weekend when US mediator Amos Hochstein arrives again in the region.
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A source in Beirut told the paper that Hochstein "knows that any rejection will have negative repercussions that are not in Israel's interests." The source added that Hochstein "was briefed again on the clear Lebanese demands on certain issues, including a validation of its rights in territorial waters and cementing them so that they could not be breached." The source further assessed that the US mediator was working on language that would allow Israel to save face.
In recent weeks Hezbollah has accused Israel of violating Lebanese sovereignty by placing the rig in the field ahead of the gas extraction, even though Israel has shown proof that it lies entiredly within its territorial waters. The Iran-backed group also sent reconnaissance drones to the site in order to stage a provocation, and these were shot down by Israeli air defenses.
Channel 12 News reported Tuesday that Israel has beefed up security around the gas field by creating several rings of security using various naval assets, while also shortening scrambling time for aircraft in case an attack unfolds that need to be countered by air.
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