President Michel Aoun has received a phone call from U.S. mediator Amos Hochstein, who briefed him on the outcome of the latest round of talks with the Lebanese and Israeli sides, the Presidency said.

“Mr. Hochstein clarified that the discussion rounds have been concluded… and over the next few hours he will send a version that includes the final format of the proposal related to the demarcation of the southern maritime border,” the Presidency added.

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi on Sunday rejected what he called the election of a “settlements president.”

Turning to the issue of the new government, al-Rahi called for the formation of “an inclusive rather than a partisan government.”

The head of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency, David Barnea, has told Israel’s security cabinet that, according to his evaluation, Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah wants the gas deal with Israel to be finalized and “does not want a military battle with Israel at the moment,” Israel’s Channel 12 has reported.

Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz for his part told the cabinet that the agreement should be signed prior to the extraction of gas from the Karish offshore gas field.

The French and the Americans are exerting huge pressure on Lebanon and are seeking a way to convince Beirut to “climb down from the tree,” Israel’s Channel 12 has reported.

Israel’s Kan TV meanwhile said that the next two days will be crucial in the attempt to revive the gas deal between Lebanon and Israel, after the Israelis rejected Lebanon’s amendments to the draft deal presented by U.S. mediator Amos Hochstein.

President Michel Aoun announced Friday that “Lebanon is awaiting the outcome of the contacts that U.S. mediator Amos Hochstein is carrying out with the Israelis, in order to specify the course of the indirect negotiations for the demarcation of the southern maritime border.”

Aoun’s remarks come a day after Israel rejected Lebanon’s amendments to Hochstein’s latest proposal.

Speaker Nabih Berri has said that Lebanon’s remarks over the sea border demarcation proposal presented by U.S. mediator Amos Hochstein are “minor,” hours after Israel rejected them through an unnamed senior official.

“Lebanon does not deal with media leaks, but rather with facts that are supposed to be carried by U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein, with whom our contacts are exclusively taking place,” Berri said in remarks to Asharq al-Awsat newspaper published Friday.

Israel’s security and political affairs cabinet has authorized “preemptive” strikes on Hezbollah if Israel determines that the Iran-backed Lebanese group is preparing to launch an attack related to the maritime gas dispute.

In its session on Thursday, the cabinet said it authorizes “the possibility of launching preemptive offensive operations” should Israel obtain “credible information” that Hezbollah is “preparing to wage an attack,” Lebanon’s pro-Hezbollah newspaper al-Akhbar reported on Friday.

ARAB ART FAIR, the First Affordable Art Fair in the region, has announced its dates for 2022. The fair will return from November 2nd to 6th, 2022 in the Yacht Club Beirut, Zaitunay Bay.

ARAB ART FAIR offers an opportunity for Art galleries and independent Artists in the region to showcase their artworks to thousands of enthusiastic art lovers.

Naharnet has interviewed presidential hopeful and Lebanon’s former candidate for World Bank chief Ziad Hayek about his presidential chances and plans.

Hayek, 63, was Secretary General of Lebanon's High Council for Privatization and PPP from 2006 until he was nominated to be President of the World Bank in February 2019. Hayek is currently Vice Chair of the Bureau of the U.N. Economic Commission for Europe Working Party on PPP, Head of the International Center of Excellence in PPP for Ports, President of the World Association of PPP Units & Professionals, Member of the Board of Trustees of the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, Member of the Investment Committee of World YMCA, and High Commissioner for Lebanon at the World Business Angels Investment Forum.

Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil on Tuesday suggested holding “national dialogue” over the presidential election, as he criticized Speaker Nabih Berri for choosing October 13 as a date for the upcoming presidential vote session.

Reciting the FPM’s “presidential priorities” paper, Bassil said the new president must “preserve national sovereignty, protect the border and the full rights, devise a defense strategy in which the state is the main authority, preserve and develop Lebanon’s ties with the world, and achieve a swift and safe repatriation of the displaced Syrians.”