Israel’s prime minister on Monday vowed to begin production at a contested Mediterranean natural gas field “as soon as it is possible,” threatening to raise tensions with Lebanon and Hezbollah. Yair Lapid’s announcement came at a sensitive time in long-running efforts by a US mediator to resolve a dispute over the countries’ maritime border. US officials have said they are making progress, but need more time to reach a solution. Lapid said it is “both possible and necessary” to reach an agreement with Lebanon, which he said would benefit both countries and “strengthen regional stability.” But …