Beirut: «Al-Khaleej», agencies
The Lebanese presidential office said, on Sunday, that President Michel Aoun had received a call from Amos Hochstein, the American mediator in the file of demarcating the maritime borders between Lebanon and Israel, indicating that Lebanon will study the final version of the proposal in the coming hours, confirming that the American mediation to demarcate the maritime borders Continuing, at a time when the gas exploration company “Energean”, affiliated to the Israeli side, began testing gas pumping from the “Karesh” field, despite the escalating tensions with Lebanon.
Aoun’s office added, in a press statement posted on his official account on Twitter: “President Aoun received a call from Hochstein, during which he informed him of the recent results of the contacts on the demarcation of the maritime borders, stressing that the discussion rounds were concluded and the notes were identified and he will send the final version of the proposal within the few hours. coming.”
“The Lebanese side will study the final version of Hochstein’s proposal carefully in preparation for taking the appropriate decision,” the statement added.
It was remarkable that France entered the demarcation file line, on the eve of a visit to Beirut by French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, starting next Thursday. The French Foreign Ministry confirmed that France is actively participating in the US mediation aimed at reaching an agreement on the maritime borders between Lebanon and Israel.
She believed that the agreement would benefit the two countries and their peoples, and would contribute to the stability and prosperity of the region. The French Foreign Ministry called on all actors to do their part.
In parallel, the fate of the maritime border demarcation agreement between Lebanon and Israel does not seem better than the fate of the ambiguous presidential election. It has been four days since Israel rejected the Lebanese amendments to the agreement drawn up by the American mediator, Amos Hochstein, and no positive factor has actually appeared except to highlight the American will to continue trying to float the agreement and prevent its collapse. However, the bets on the possibility of re-floating the agreement and passing it before the beginning of November, which constitutes a date for general elections in Israel, have greatly diminished, and the urgent question that everyone is asking has become, will the suspension or fall of the agreement mean an explosion of military confrontation, or is this danger not inevitable? Yesterday, Hochstein completed his contacts with the Lebanese side to discuss the Israeli response to the Lebanese comments.
According to the information, Lebanon received the Israeli notes on the American offer and on the Lebanese notes, and everything that revolves around this agreement is being discussed.
She pointed out that contacts were active between the American mediator Hochstein and both the Lebanese and Israeli sides in order to address their respective comments. However, Israel, through the Energean Company, confirmed, in a statement, the completion of linking the platform to the delivery pipes and the start of the reverse trial pumping process from the shore of the platform. The company explained that the flow of gas on the coast is an important step in the process of operating the platform. As for the American “Axios” website, it quoted Israeli officials as saying that Israel informed Lebanon that the flow of gas is part of the operation of the platform and not to start production.
According to the American website, Israeli officials expressed their concern over the failure to reach an agreement on the maritime borders with Lebanon. Channel 12 had said, “The Israeli security establishment gave the company the green light to start the Karish field tests.” As for the Israeli “Kan” channel, it said that the full pumping of gas from the field can start within weeks once the tests are completed.
