The head of the Mossad intelligence service told government officials that Hizbullah is likely to attempt a limited attack on Israeli-controlled facilities in a disputed offshore gas field. Israel has put troops on alert in the north of the country after a maritime border agreement with Lebanon appears to have reached an impasse, the Times of Israel wrote.

Mossad chief David Barnea's warning came as other officials signaled that hope was alive for a landmark agreement between Israel and Lebanon to resolve the maritime border dispute that would allow the two countries to begin extracting gas wealth from the sea.

The ministers agreed to give Prime Minister Yair Lapid, Defense Minister Benny Gantz and Deputy Prime Minister Naftali Bennett the authority to deal with a possible escalation of tension or violence in the north, after Israel said it would not accept Lebanon's proposed amendments to the US-brokered deal.

Barnea reportedly told ministers that Hezbollah head Hassan Nasrallah might feel pressure to take action against Israel, given his public promises to prevent Israel from extracting gas from the Karish field if no agreement is reached on some 860 square kilometers, the Mediterranean Sea area claimed by both Tel Aviv and Beirut.