Today, Monday, US mediator Amos Hochstein expressed his optimism about reaching an agreement in the coming weeks on the demarcation of the joint maritime border between Lebanon and Israel.

This came during a press conference that followed his meeting with Lebanese President Michel Aoun, Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri at the Baabda presidential palace east of Beirut.

"I am grateful to President Aoun for meeting with the presidents, and very optimistic that an agreement will be reached in the coming weeks," Hochstein said.

"I will return to the region soon to reach an agreement on the demarcation of the maritime borders," he revealed.

After the meeting, journalists asked the Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament whether the meeting was positive, and he only said, "God willing, it is good," according to a statement by the Lebanese presidency distributed after the meeting.

The statement added, "As for President Mikati, he did not make any statement as he left Baabda Palace, content with a positive gesture from his hand."


He continued, "The Deputy Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, Elias Bou Saab, revealed that the atmosphere is positive, the gap of differences over the file has narrowed, and the time period separating us from the return of the American mediator to Beirut will be short."

Bou Saab, who was present at the meeting, said that "everyone was comfortable, and we are waiting to achieve what was discussed during the meeting, and God willing, we will see a result in the next few weeks," according to the same statement.

He added, "No one asked us to nibble (cutting) the blocks (the spaces inside the sea) and lay the pipes, and Lebanon demanded its entire blocks, and nothing changed in its position, and Hockstein never offered us any sharing of wealth, blocks or profits with the Israeli enemy."

Font 23

Al-Jazeera correspondent in Beirut quoted an official Lebanese source as saying that President Michel Aoun informed the US envoy of his country's adherence to the demarcation of the maritime border with Israel according to Line 23.

The source added that Aoun informed Hochstein that Lebanon adheres to all the oil fields that fall within the 23rd line, in addition to the Qana oil field.

The source also quoted the Lebanese administration as confirming that the gap between Lebanon and Israel has narrowed regarding the demarcation of the maritime borders, noting that the American mediator will continue his efforts to reach a final agreement.

And the Lebanese Energy Minister in the caretaker government, Walid Fayyad, announced on Sunday that the American mediator carried a new proposal to demarcate the joint maritime borders with Israel.

Hochstein visited Lebanon in mid-June, where President Michel Aoun presented him with an oral proposal regarding the demarcation of the border with Israel, based on the recovery of the entire Qana field with the amendment of Line 23.

The disputed area is 860 square kilometers, according to maps deposited by Lebanon and Israel with the United Nations, and this area is rich in oil and gas.

In October 2020, indirect negotiations were launched between the two sides to resolve the conflict, under the auspices of the United Nations and with American mediation.

In this context, 5 rounds of negotiations were held, the last of which was in May 2021.

During one of the talks, the Beirut delegation presented a new map pushing for an additional 1,430 km of Lebanon, indicating that the disputed area is 2,290 km, which was rejected by Israel and led to a halt in the negotiations.