Lebanon’s Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib, on par with information from the US and UN, expects an agreement on the maritime border with Israel to be reached by September.
Habib told the LBCI channel, “I expect that we will reach an agreement on the demarcation of the maritime border with Israel in September,” adding that “the information received from the United States and the United Nations shows progress in the negotiations.”
However, Hezbollah reportedly remains intent on preventing any such arrangements.
Over the weekend, the Iran-affiliated party sent three unarmed drones towards the disputed Karish gas field as a threat to the Israeli drilling ship that approached the disputed zone, only to be shot down by the Israeli army.
Hezbollah’s military wing, the Islamic Resistance, confirmed the incident.
Some worry that if an agreement isn’t reached on the maritime border issue before President Michel Aoun’s term comes to an end in October, the negotiations will have to be rehashed between new leaders from both Lebanon and Israel.
Israel-born US Senior Energy adviser, Amos Hochstein, continues to serve as the mediator between Lebanon and Israel, in hopes of reaching a suitable agreement for both parties.
Check out The Lebanese Israeli Maritime Border Dispute, Explained for a more in-depth analysis.
