However, the preoccupation with the budget and the political tensions that accompanied its approval did not obscure interest in what the American mediator in the negotiations on the demarcation of the maritime borders between Lebanon and Israel, Amos Hochstein, reported of new proposals to resume these negotiations, perhaps reaching an agreement. The Lebanese side gave 4 to 6 weeks to respond to them, putting pressure on Lebanon In order to accept it out of his utmost need to quickly benefit from his gaseous wealth to get out of the collapse he is experiencing.
Informed circles told Al-Jumhuriya that “what Hochstein offered is more than the Hof line, but it is less than Lebanon fulfills its right.” She indicated that he gave an implicit and diplomatic warning by saying, “You have to accept this offer because it may be the last chance and time is short, and you need it because it would alleviate the crisis you are under.”
Al-Jumhuriya learned that officials did not reveal all of Lebanon’s cards to the American mediator, and refused the Hof Line, as well as joint investment or partnership with Israel in the fields, so that it would have its independent rights and not share it with Israel or any partnerships that companies might work on.
In the details, the relevant references concluded that what was new regarding Hochstein’s mission was the end of the research following today, with what was called the “Hof Line” and the “860 km” area, which the discussion was regarding to be divided between Lebanon and Israel. He moved the negotiations to an area that put “Line 23” at the forefront of the discussion, with the possibility that Lebanon’s share will expand towards the area separating from the 29th line proposed by the Lebanese side with specific “protrusions” that go along with the verification of the borders of the so-called “Qana” field from the Lebanese side and “Kareesh”. From the Israeli side, without referring to these two fields in particular, which leads to a search for zigzag lines within the new 1430-kilometer area created by the new demarcation.
At the time Hochstein left Beirut heading to an unknown destination according to Lebanese officials who did not ask him regarding his next destination, there was information that he went to Israel for consultations for a few hours before leaving for Washington, where he has several obligations related to addressing the set of problems caused by the stalled negotiations. In terms of supplying European countries with Russian gas resulting from the repercussions of the Ukraine crisis and fears of any Russian military action targeting it and might lead to the suspension of Russian gas supplies to Europe in the event that Europe was forced to impose sanctions on Moscow.
Did the American mediator meet Bassil?
In this context, Al-Akhbar stated that there is no common field between Lebanon and Israel, nor is there a sharing of financial revenues or other forms of normalization that were circulated in the past. Those familiar with the real atmosphere of the latest findings of the US President’s senior adviser on global energy security, Amos Hochstein, point to the resolution of the above, and add that the border field is a Lebanese field, according to Hochstein’s conclusion, with an enclave belonging to this field in the territorial waters of occupied Palestine.
The sources confirmed that the field is not considered joint, and that it is not proposed to divide it into two fields, and that the “American mediator” is focusing on the “Total” company responsible for exploration in the Lebanese field to complete its work in the entire field, with a side agreement between it and the oil companies operating in Israel regarding The quantity extracted from the Israeli side of the border, without the Lebanese state having a direct relationship with the matter. This is with regard to the supposed sharing of the wealth of the disputed field, which represented a large part of the crisis lingering in the hands of the negotiator. As for the largest part of the crisis related to the demarcation of the borders, where there were many stories, leaks, speculation and treason, without direct comment from the Republican Palace.
“Al-Akhbar” information confirmed all of what was previously mentioned regarding the part related to the identity of the field and how its revenues will be shared. As for the border line, the information confirms that there is no return to the “Hof Line”, while the 23rd line is a foregone conclusion, and the effort today is focused on progressing towards the 24th line. Or 25, but not 29, without there being any final agreement on that.
It is noteworthy that Hochstein passed through a European capital on his way to Beirut, at a time when the head of the Free Patriotic Movement, Gebran Bassil, was in the same capital, and he also left Beirut for the United Arab Emirates from Beirut airport at a time when Basil was at the airport on his way to Doha as well, from Without any confirmation or denial of a meeting between the two men.
Agreement before the month of March
What is certain, according to sources, is that “the Americans are in a hurry to reach an agreement before the month of March, when the Israeli enemy will start drilling for oil in the Karish field,” and that “the talk has returned to the lines, and we are very close to achieving Lebanon’s official demand, which is Line 23… But with Shata.
Sources concerned with the file considered that what happened was a “positive development”, as it expresses “an American waiver of the principle of the Hof Line and recognition of Lebanon’s borders according to Line 23”, while Hochstein gave a few weeks to the political forces to present a unified official position, “and if the situation is positive, the mediator will return to Lebanon and occupied Palestine to announce this agreement. The atmosphere surrounding the visit and the marketing of the idea that the new proposal is a last chance for Lebanon that must be invested in helping it get out of its financial and economic crisis was remarkable, which political sources put in the context of pressure on Lebanon.
Fayyad
After the series of meetings that Fayyad held with Hochstein during the symposium at the “May Chidiac Foundation” and the meeting he had with him in the Baabda talks alongside the Foreign Minister, Fayyad refused to delve into any details regarding Hochstein’s new proposals, considering them as “positive propositions that can be built upon.”
He pointed out that “the Lebanese side asked Hochstein for more details that would translate the oral offers he made to add to the studies and texts it had downloaded related to the new formulas that he presented.”
