They handed over the new geographical coordinates to the United Nations in the presence of the American mediator

Lebanon and Israel sign maritime border demarcation agreement

The Israeli negotiating delegation during a press conference in Naqoura on the conclusion of the agreement.

Reuters

Yesterday, Lebanon and Israel formally concluded an agreement demarcating the maritime borders between them, after months of strenuous negotiations mediated by Washington, and for fear of security tension, and they handed over the new geographical coordinates to the United Nations, in the presence of the American mediator.

The agreement allowed Israel to start producing gas from a disputed area, while Lebanon, mired in economic collapse, hopes to start drilling soon.

And US President Joe Biden, whose country mediated for more than two years between Lebanon and Israel, announced the conclusion of the agreement "officially."

Biden said that the maritime border demarcation agreement between Lebanon and Israel "is a step towards achieving a vision for a more prosperous and secure Middle East."

Biden stressed in a statement published by the White House that the announcement of this "historic agreement" will achieve the interests of Israel and Lebanon, noting that the United States will continue to act as a facilitator to help the parties fulfill their obligations and implement the agreement.

Biden said in his statement, "I am proud to congratulate Israel and Lebanon on the formal conclusion of their agreement to resolve the protracted maritime border dispute." presence of the United States.

Shortly after the agreement was announced, Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, who had repeatedly threatened Israel with a military escalation during the negotiations, announced the end of the "exceptional measures and alerts" undertaken by his party during the past months.

The agreement is an exchange of letters of approval of the text of the agreement, between Lebanon and the United States on the one hand, and Israel and the United States on the other, as well as letters containing new coordinates for the border line to be delivered to the United Nations.

Lebanese President Michel Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid signed separate letters to approve the text of the agreement.

At the United Nations headquarters in southern Lebanon, the letters were delivered to the American mediator, Amos Hochstein.

The two parties handed over the agreed geographical coordinates to the United Nations Special Coordinator in Lebanon Yoana Frontka, who in turn will deposit them with the United Nations in New York, to replace the ones that the two countries sent to the United Nations in 2011.

"It is a historic achievement on many levels," Frontka said after the agreement was announced.

Since months, developments related to the file have accelerated.

After meetings and shuttling contacts, Hochstein, whose country has been leading mediation for two years, presented, early this month, his last offer, and the two parties announced their agreement to it.

In Israel, the signing of the agreement comes days before legislative elections, the fifth in three years.

Former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who currently leads the opposition, criticized the agreement.

Prime Minister Yair Lapid, who is facing a new political crisis, considered the agreement a "political achievement. Not every day an enemy state recognizes the State of Israel in a written agreement before the entire international community."

On the other hand, Aoun stressed that "the completion of the file of demarcation of the southern maritime borders is a technical work that does not have any political dimensions or effects that contradict Lebanon's foreign policy in its relations with countries."

The agreement comes at a time when Western countries, and European countries in particular, are looking for a new source of gas to reduce their dependence on Russian gas following the war in Ukraine.

On the eve of the signing, Energean announced the start of gas production from the Israeli offshore Karish field.

She noted that "the flow of gas is steadily increasing."

Under the agreement, the Karish field will be completely on the Israeli side, while the agreement guarantees to Lebanon the Qana field, which goes beyond the demarcation line separating the two parties.

Lapid: Lebanon recognized Israel in a written agreement before the entire international community.

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