Lebanon, Israel Both Announce Satisfaction With US-Mediated Agreement on Maritime Border

Lebanon and Israel both announced that a US-mediated agreement to define their shared maritime border in the Eastern Mediterranean has been reached. “The final version of the offer satisfies Lebanon, meets its demands and preserves its rights to its natural resources,” the office of Lebanese President Michel Aoun said on Tuesday. “This is a historic achievement that will strengthen Israel’s security, inject billions into Israel’s economy, and ensure the stability of our northern border. The draft agreement meets all the security and economic principles laid out by Israel,” according to a statement by Israel’s Prime Minister Yair Lapid. The agreement comes after years of delicate negotiations under the auspices of the US and potentially clears the way for both countries to begin new gas exploration in that area. The draft deal proposed by US mediator Amos Hochstein aims to settle competing claims over the offshore Qana gas field. Under the US-brokered plan, Lebanon would have control over the area north of Line 23 on the sea map, including most of the Qana offshore natural gas field, while Israel would remain in control of the Karish gas field south of the line.