Defense Minister Benny Gantz expressed support Sunday for the US-brokered deal demarcating a maritime border with Lebanon.
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At the end of the day, it is an agreement with great economic value, and – if signed – Israel and Lebanon, whose citizens are suffering from a severe crisis, will reap its benefits for years to come, he wrote on Twitter.
He also said that although the proposal did not guarantee an end of "friction" with Lebanon, it would no doubt bring about stability, deterrence and in the long run, weaken the country's dependence on Iran.
Gantz also called on Opposition Leader Benjamin Netanyahu on refraining from comments that might endanger the deal.
Earlier, Netanyahu accused Lapid of "shamefully surrendering" to the threats of Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah.
"He is giving Hezbollah a sovereign territory of the State of Israel with a huge gas reservoir that belongs to you, the citizens of Israel," he said in a video. "He does this without a debate in the Knesset and without a referendum. Lapid has no mandate to hand over to an enemy state sovereign territories and sovereign assets that belong to all of us."
Lapid shot back at the criticism, accusing Netanyahu of having failed to bring about such an agreement during his tenure as prime minister.
"At least don't harm Israel's security interests and help Hezbollah with irresponsible messages," he said.
The 10-page draft proposal – details of which have not been made public – is currently being studied in Beirut. Iran-backed Hezbollah, which has clashed with Israel and previously voiced suspicions over any such agreement, called the proposal "a very important step."
Israel's approval of the draft was awaiting legal review, Lapid told his cabinet at the weekly Cabinet meeting.
i24NEWS contributed to this report.
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