Israel PM hails "historic agreement" with Lebanon on sea border

Agencies |Jerusalem

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Israel said Tuesday it has reached a US-brokered agreement with Lebanon to settle their long-disputed maritime border, hailing a "historic achievement" that potentially unlocks significant offshore gas production for both countries.

Negotiations between the neighbouring countries, which are still technically at war, had suffered repeated setbacks since their launch in 2020 but gained momentum in recent weeks with both sides eyeing revenue from potentially rich Mediterranean gas fields.

US envoy Amos Hochstein floated a proposed final agreement earlier this month that was accepted by Israel, but Lebanon sought some adjustments.

Israel said last week it intended to reject the changes sought by Lebanon, even if that made a deal impossible, but negotiations continued, culminating in what both sides described as acceptable final terms.

"Israel and Lebanon have reached an historic agreement settling the maritime dispute," said a statement from Israel Prime Minister Yair Lapid's office, in which he hailed "an historic achievement that will strengthen Israel's security".

Lebanon's presidency said the proposed final text submitted by Hochstein was "satisfactory to Lebanon" and voiced hope that "the agreement on the demarcation will be announced as soon as possible".

Lebanon's chief negotiator, Elias Bou Saab, said that "today we have come to a solution that satisfies both parties."

A major source of friction at the talks was the Karish gas field, which Israel insisted fell entirely within its waters and was not a subject of negotiation.

Lebanon reportedly claimed part of the field and Hezbollah, the powerful Iran-backed terrorist group that holds huge sway in Lebanon, threatened attacks if Israel began production at Karish.

Israel has said production would begin at Karish as soon as possible, regardless of Lebanon's demands.