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.”

Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz on Thursday ordered the Israeli army to be on alert in the north amid an apparent setback in the efforts to reach a maritime border deal with Lebanon.

Gantz will hold a situational assessment with the army’s chief of staff and other security officials, after Israel said it will not accept Lebanese amendments to a U.S.-brokered deal, Israeli media reports said.

President Michel Aoun said Thursday that Lebanon’s remarks over U.S. mediator Amos Hochstein’s latest proposal “guarantee Lebanon’s right to oil and gas exploration in the fields specified in the Exclusive Economic Zone.”

“These remarks also prevent any interpretations that do not conform to the framework specified by Lebanon for the demarcation process during the negotiations that lasted for months,” Aoun added, during a meeting with caretaker Defense Minister Maurice Slim.

A Lebanese official involved in the negotiations to demarcate the sea border between Lebanon and Israel told AFP on Thursday that "Lebanon has not yet been notified of Israel's response,” shortly after a senior Israeli official said that Israel will reject Lebanon's latest amendments to a U.S.-drafted proposal.

The official, who requested anonymity as they were not authorized to discuss the talks, said Beirut's negotiators had been working with U.S. mediator Amos Hochstein "all night... to clarify some points."

Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati held talks Thursday in Bkirki with Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Mikati said he briefed the patriarch on “the important issue that is about to be finalized, which is related to the demarcation of the maritime border.”

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has scheduled a second presidential election session for Thursday, October 13.

The session will be held at 11:00 am.