Top Israeli negotiator resigns over Lebanon maritime deal

By Ahmed Asmar

ANKARA (AA) – Israel’s top negotiator for maritime border demarcation with Lebanon, Udi Adiri, has resigned from his post amid progress in US-mediated efforts to reach a possible deal with Beirut.

The resignation came as US mediator Amos Hochstein presented his final proposal to settle a maritime border dispute between Tel Aviv and Beirut.

According to The Jerusalem Post newspaper, Adiri opposed the agreement and "was frustrated by how National Security Adviser Eyal Hulata conducted the talks after the responsibility for them was moved to the Prime Minister’s Office."

On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid told his Cabinet that the deal would "strengthen Israel's security and Israel's economy," adding that Israel has been seeking to strike an agreement for more than 10 years.

Lebanon and Israel are locked in a dispute over a maritime area of 860 square kilometers (332 square miles), according to maps sent by both countries to the UN in 2011.

The area is rich in natural gas and oil. Starting in 2020, five sessions of indirect negotiations have been held on the issue under UN sponsorship and US mediation, with the latest round held in May 2021.