BEIRUT. At the “critical point” yesterday were negotiations between Lebanon as well as Israelunder the auspices of USAfor engraving maritime boundaries between the two states following Israel’s rejection of the amendments made at the request of Beirut to the draft agreement. Denying the Israeli government calls into question decades of diplomatic efforts.

The draft agreement, which has not been made public, was initially adopted by the Israeli and Lebanese governments. However, after reactions within the two countries, Lebanon on Tuesday asked the US envoy for a series of amendments to the original agreement.

Yesterday, Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid “was briefed on the details of the major changes requested by Lebanon and instructed a negotiating team to reject them,” according to an Israeli official. According to Israeli media, Beirut is evading ratification of the agreement because the US offer gives Israel a small piece of the Lebanese continental shelf with a coastal front on the border, but this may in the future give Jerusalem an excuse to secure de facto recognition of the Lebanese-Israeli land border along the “blue line” UN. These include the Israeli-occupied Sheba Farms.

The maritime boundary will also define the exclusive economic zones of the two states. Israel is already exploiting its important natural gas fields in the Eastern Mediterranean, while Lebanon, despite issuing two development licenses, has yet to start pumping.

Another point of controversy is the fate of the Lebanese submarine Kuwana field, which also enters Israeli territorial waters. If commercial deposits are found in it, the Israeli prime minister said his country would be entitled to a percentage of the proceeds. Israeli officials have already met with executives from the oil company TotalEnergies to find a co-ownership mechanism.

Lebanese negotiator Elias Bou Saab said Beirut retains the exclusive right to exploit Kuanah and his country “will not pay a cent” to Israel. “90% of the deal has been completed. However, the remaining 10% are capable of torpedoing it,” Saab said, adding that he is in constant contact with the American negotiator Amos Hockstein.

Israel is preparing to launch pumping stations at the Karis subsea field, which is outside of Kuana, according to Jerusalem, despite objections from Lebanon, which sees Karis as a geological extension of Kuana. The Shia group Hezbollah threatened “strong measures” against Israel’s use of the Karis bloc, jeopardizing the talks.

“If Hezbollah or anyone else tries to damage the Karish oil rig or threaten us, it will mean an immediate end to maritime border negotiations,” an Israeli official said. Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz further raised his tone, saying that Lebanon would pay dearly if Hezbollah attacked.