Israel to reject Lebanon's proposed changes to gas deal

A draft agreement floated by U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein aims to settle claims over offshore gas fields

Israel said Thursday that it will reject Lebanon's amendments to a U.S.-drafted proposal on resolving a long-running maritime border dispute over gas-rich waters off the countries' Mediterranean coasts.

A draft agreement floated by U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein aims to settle competing claims over offshore gas fields and was delivered to Lebanese and Israeli officials at the weekend, following years of indirect negotiations.

Yet with negotiations having hit a roadblock, Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz "instructed the defence establishment to prepare for any scenario in which tensions increase in the northern arena, including defensive and offensive readiness," his office said.

Lebanon and Israel have no diplomatic relations and their land border is patrolled by the United Nations. The two sides are technically still at war.

Israel had welcomed the terms set out by Hochstein and said they would be subjected to legal review, but gave no indication it sought substantive changes.

Lebanon presented its response to Washington's proposal on Tuesday.

A senior Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP that Israel had received the Lebanese response to the meditator's proposal for an agreement.