On Thursday, Hezbollah remarked that negotiating with Israel (“the Zionist enemy”) over maritime borders is not a sign of normalization or peacemaking.
This was the party’s first official comment since the beginning of the U.S.-backed talks over the disputed border, which were regarded as “historic” for bringing warring states together.
Iran-backed Hezbollah, whose ultimate opponent is Israel, maintained that these talks are not an attempt at reconciliation with its enemy.
The remark solidified the party’s stance in a time when other countries in the region are making peace agreements with Israel.
Last Thursday, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri announced the framework agreement upon which Lebanon and Israel will demarcate their maritime and land borders.
The talks are scheduled to begin around mid-October at the UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura, South Lebanon in the presence of Lebanese and Israeli representatives.
Long-awaited talks are a turning point for both countries to finally end the dispute over the maritime territory which is said to include reserves of oil and natural gas.
As Lebanon is ridden with crises, the extraction of valuable resources from the sea is vital to rejuvenate the collapsing economy.
