Lebanese protesters take part in a demonstration at the Lebanese southernmost border area of Naqoura, on June 11, days after Israel moved a gas production vessel into an offshore field, a part of which is claimed by Lebanon. (Credit: Mahmoud Zayyat/AFP)
The US mediator on the maritime border dispute Amos Hochstein is expected back in Beirut today for a two-day visit. A US State Department announcement on Saturday said the visit will focus on “sustainable solutions to Lebanon’s energy crisis,” and Hochstein will “underscore the Biden Administration’s hope that Lebanon and Israel can reach a decision on the delimitation of the maritime boundary.” Many of Lebanon’s political leaders have been anxious for Hochstein to return ever since a floating gas production unit belonging to London-based Energean arrived in the disputed waters on June 5. President Michel Aoun and caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati met on Saturday to discuss the Lebanese strategy for Hochstein’s visit. The political elite have been in characteristic disarray on the maritime border file, with disagreements persisting about whether or not to stake out a so-called “maximalist” claim — known as line 29 — in the negotiations or adopt a less ambitious bargaining position in exchange for unclear political benefits. On Saturday hundreds of people were joined by opposition MPs in a sit-in near the border in Naqoura to call on authorities to formally ratify line 29 as the government’s official position.
Meanwhile, the chief of staff of the Israeli army threatened the Lebanese yesterday. Speaking to Lebanese civilians about a future war, Lebanese media reported him as saying, “I advise you to leave [the area of hostilities], not only at the beginning of the war, but from the beginning of tension and before the first bullet is fired … because the force of the attack will be unprecedented.” He added, “A missile launcher inside a house is considered a military target, a missile depot inside a house is considered a military target, a missile depot in the basement of a building is considered a military target, a command headquarters inside a multistorey building is considered a military target, and dual-use targets that serve to fight the enemy are considered military objectives.”
Parliamentary consultations to name a new prime minister-designate will start this week, according to the timeline given by a source at the Presidential Palace last week. During consultations, parliamentary blocs make visits one-by-one to Baabda where they lay out the names of potential premiers and cast their votes. The person with the plurality of votes is designated to form a government. The designation of a premier is just one step before what is often an arduous and protracted process of gathering together names for the rest of the cabinet positions that are acceptable to all factions.
The wheels of justice will creak into action three days a week, but only in cases involving detainees, based on an announcement by judicial assistants that they will scale back their strike initiated on May 30. In a statement on Sunday, courthouse auxiliaries announced they will work Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, on cases involving people held in detention. The processing of all other civil and criminal cases is suspended. The workers said they will reassess the situation at the end of June. The move comes two weeks after the start of an open-ended strike in all courthouses in Lebanon to demand an improvement in working conditions. Many courthouses are also afflicted with a lack of water, electricity and proper maintenance.
Yesterday, the United Nations peacekeeping force in the south (UNIFIL) again called on the Lebanese Army to guarantee it’s freedom of movement after a patrol was reportedly stopped by “a group of men in civilian clothes” who “tried to take their weapons,” according to UNIFIL. UNIFIL’s spokesperson called “attacks, threats, and acts of intimidation against peacekeepers” a matter of “grave concern.” Tensions between the 10,000-strong peacekeeping force and some residents of the south are a recurring event.
In case you missed it, here’s our must-read article from over the weekend: “A Mexican (or Lebanese) standoff in three acts: Your weekly financial news roundup”