London-based Energean’s drill ship begins drilling at the Karish gas field in the east Mediterranean on May 9, 2022. (Credit: Ari Rabinovitch/Reuters)
Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib predicted an agreement on the maritime border with Israel in September, according to comments he made to local channel LBCI Sunday.
Here's what we know:
• “I expect that we will reach an agreement on the demarcation of the maritime border with Israel in September,” Bou Habib said. “The information received from the United States and the United Nations shows progress in the negotiations,” he added.
• Earlier this week, the US government announced that Amos Hochstein, the American envoy in charge of indirect negotiations between Lebanon and Israel on the maritime border, had spoken with officials in Israel. He said that his visit had allowed "a step forward with the aim of reducing the differences" of point of view between the two countries.
• Also on Sunday, the acting Israeli Prime Minister, Yair Lapid, claimed that Hezbollah is an obstacle to an agreement with Israel.
• These statements come as tensions have reignited between Lebanon and Israel — the Israeli army said on Saturday it shot down three Hezbollah drones which it said were heading towards a gas field in the Mediterranean.
• Tensions between Lebanon and Israel escalated after the arrival in early June of a gas platform on the disputed Karish field. Hezbollah then positioned itself behind the Lebanese state while saying it was "ready to take action," while Israeli officials said they were prepared to defend their infrastructure in the event of an attack.