Maritime border deal between Lebanon, Israel marked by compromises

ISTANBUL (AA) - Over two years, Lebanon and Israel engaged in indirect negotiations on the maritime boundary between them, with the talks sponsored by the UN and mediated by the US.

On Tuesday, Beirut and Tel Aviv agreed on the final version of the deal provided by US mediator Amos Hochstein.

Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid announced reaching a "historic deal" with Lebanon on their maritime border dispute.

Earlier Tuesday, Lebanon also said it was satisfied with a US draft on maritime border demarcation with Israel, noting that it preserves the country’s "rights to its natural wealth."

The following are some of the terms of the deal according to informed Lebanese sources:

1. Line 23 will be the official maritime line between Lebanon and Israel.

2. Lebanon will fully retain its rights in the Qana gas field, including the part located south of Line 23 in the Israeli economic zone.

3. In return for Israel's concession on this, it will receive financial compensation from French company TotalEnergies, which is carrying out gas extraction in the Qana field.

4. Israel will fully acquire the Karish gas field, including exploration and drilling rights south of Line 23 within Israel's economic zone.

5. The withdrawal from the final version of the deal of the section concerning the “line of buoys” that Israel had demanded to start demarcating the maritime borders from and which it used to prevent fishermen from crossing.

This issue will be later determined when opening the file on the land borders between Lebanon and Israel, a move seen as a Lebanese success to separate the maritime demarcation from the land demarcation.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar