The diplomatic source confirmed tohome call“The American mediator, Amos Hochstein, closed the debate on the demarcation file and proceeded towards formulating the final offer, which is formally modified and revised legally and linguistically to the satisfaction of the Israeli and Lebanese sides. The chances of completing the demarcation agreement increased, following last week’s end witnessed a regression and convulsiveness in attitudes.
The source expressed his belief that the maritime demarcation agreement will have direct results on the course of the Lebanese entitlements, starting with the formation of a new government that works to take over the powers of the Presidency of the Republic during the vacancy period following it became largely impossible to elect a new president for Lebanon within the remainder of the constitutional deadline. At the same time, he indicated that “the international community will, in parallel, exercise maximum pressure in order to ensure that the presidential vacuum period does not prolong and prevent the ruling class from exploiting this period to re-establish the rules of its rule and to continue practicing the same rude behaviors that are not in line with the conditions of reform required to save the Lebanese people.” He said: “The international will is determined to maintain calm in Lebanon, and to invest in the signing of the maritime border demarcation agreement to re-move the exploration process in the Lebanese sea in order to push for an improvement in the collapsed economic reality in Lebanon. Therefore, the French Total will begin immediately upon the signing of the demarcation agreement the drilling operations in Block No. 9 and the Qana field, and the expected result will appear within a year, according to estimates, provided that the international eye remains open to prevent the ruling authority from tampering with thieves in the gas wealth of the Lebanese.”