Lebanon insists on applying its sovereignty over all of a disputed 860-square-kilometer area, including the entire Qana gas field, delineated on maritime border maps by Line 23, caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib said on Tuesday. “Lebanon has a unified position concerning maritime border demarcation. We insist on Line 23 and the Qana field,” he said. Indirect negotiations with Israel over the maritime border between the two East Mediterranean counties are ongoing, he added, and Lebanon awaits the return of US energy envoy Amos Hochstein to get a better understanding of Israel’s position on the border dispute. Lebanon has claimed the 860-square-kilometer triangle area delineated by Line 23 since 2011. It later expanded its demands, increasing the disputed area from 860 to 2,300 square km, delineated by Line 29 on the map, including at least part of the Karish North field. Israel sent a vessel to the Karish field on June 5, asserting its right to extract undersea gas from the area.
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