Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah on Monday dismissed Israel’s latest threats over any escalation related to the dispute over maritime border demarcation and said his party is also waiting like Lebanon for Israel’s response to the latest Lebanese proposal.
“I will not say anything new. We have said everything that we should say. Now we are all waiting. The Israelis are talking a lot these days — positively and negatively — but we should wait,” Nasrallah said in a televised address.
His speech comes after Israel on Monday warned Hezbollah that any attack on its gas assets could spark war, after the Iran-backed militant group threatened to “sever” Israel’s hands if it taps a disputed offshore field.
The warning by Israeli defense minister Benny Gantz came amid lengthy negotiations between the eastern Mediterranean neighbors, which do not have diplomatic relations, to settle a dispute over their maritime border.
Elias Boo Saab , the deputy speaker reportedly held a lengthly call today with U.S. mediator Amos Hochstein during which they discussed the status of the negotiations between Lebanon and Israel over the demarcation of their maritime border, Bou Saab’s press office said.
“Hochstein briefed Bou Saab on the outcome of the latest contacts that he has held with Israeli officials, the last of which took place a few days ago, stressing to him that he will continue his communication with the Israeli officials in the coming days,” the press office said in a statement.
The statement also said that Bou Saab and Hochstein dismissed all the latest negative and positive reports about the course of the negotiations as “speculation that is not based on any information or official stances.
Bou Saab briefed President Michel Aoun, Speaker Nabih Berri and caretaker PM Najib Mikati on the discussions with Hochstein.
Biggest beneficiary
According to Lebanese analyst Ali Hussein , Nasrallah may be seeking to provoke Israel in hopes of getting credit for any border demarcation deal that is signed between Lebanon and Israel .
Another analyst, Saad Jabbour told Ya Libnan, Hezbollah is showing more interest than anyone else in the negotiations , because the party is counting on being the biggest beneficiary of any gas find .
The majority of the Lebanese do not trust the corrupt ruling elite and do not count on benefiting from any oil or gas find and prefer if the gas or oil remained underground for future generations.
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