After two years of negotiations between Israel and Lebanon on the demarcation of the maritime border, the two sides announced today that an agreement has been reached.
Lebanese President Michel Aoun said today, Tuesday, that… Final Draft of Maritime Boundary Demarcation With Israel, it meets Beirut’s demands.
The Information Office of the Presidency of the Republic confirmed in a statement that Aoun received today the person responsible for the negotiation file, Deputy Speaker of Parliament Elias Bou Saab, to follow up on the file of the demarcation of the southern maritime borders, in cooperation with the American mediator, Amos Hochstein.
American mediator Amos Hochstein
Bou Saab handed the President of the Republic the final, amended official version of the proposal submitted by the American mediator for an agreement regarding the southern maritime borders.
The Lebanese presidency said that it considers the final version of this offer “satisfactory to Lebanon, especially as it meets the Lebanese demands that have been the focus of long discussions during the past months, and required effort and long hours of difficult and complex negotiations.”
The presidency considered that “the final formula preserved Lebanon’s rights to its natural wealth, at an important time for the Lebanese.”
The Lebanese presidency expressed its hope that the agreement on the demarcation would be announced “as soon as possible.”
Aoun thanked the US mediator and the US administration for “the efforts that were made to reach this formula,” adding that “he will conduct the necessary consultations on this national issue in preparation for an official announcement of the unified national position.”
In turn, Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said today that Israel and Lebanon have reached a “historic agreement” regarding the demarcation of the maritime borders.
“This is a historic agreement that will enhance Israel’s security, inject billions into its economy and ensure the stability of our northern borders,” he added.
Lapid said in a statement that the agreement will be presented to the security cabinet and the government on Wednesday, for approval before it is presented to Parliament.
Hezbollah blesses the agreement
Later, Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah announced on Tuesday that his party would support the maritime border demarcation agreement with Israel if Lebanese officials agreed to the offer made by the US mediator in the negotiations.
He said that it is not possible to say that an agreement has been concluded regarding the demarcation of the maritime border with Israel, except at the moment when the delegations go to sign.
Nasrallah added in a televised speech, “We must be careful because there are divisions in Israel (regarding the agreement), and we are waiting for the final official positions.”
But he continued, “When the Lebanese officials say that the agreement fulfills the Lebanese demands, we have no problem, and what concerns us is extracting oil and gas from the Lebanese fields.”
Agreement at the Knesset table
In this context, the Israeli website (YNet) on Tuesday quoted Parliament Speaker (Knesset) Mickey Levy as saying that he would allow the presentation of the maritime border demarcation agreement with Lebanon to the parliament on Wednesday for approval.
The Parliament Speaker’s news website quoted him as saying that the presentation of the agreement would allow Knesset members to review its details “as soon as possible.”
This comes as Israel announced earlier today that it is close to reaching a “historic” agreement to resolve the long-running dispute over the demarcation of the maritime borders in Israel. The gas-rich waters of the Mediterranean With Lebanon, following an agreement prepared by the United States met “all the demands” of Israel.
A drilling ship operating for Israel in the Karish field
An agreement between the two neighboring countries that are still officially at war might represent a major step towards unleashing offshore gas production on both sides.
And he said Head of the Israeli National Security Agency Eyal Holata in a statement regarding the conduct of the maritime border line demarcation negotiations with Lebanon: “All our demands have been met and the amendments we have requested have been accepted. We have preserved Israel’s security interests. We are on the way to a historic agreement.”
The United States has been mediating for two years between Lebanon and Israel to reach an agreement aimed at demarcating their maritime borders and removing obstacles to oil and gas exploration.
