President Michel Aoun meets with United Nations’ Special Coordinator for Lebanon Joanna Wronecka Tuesday. (Courtesy of Lebanese Presidency Twitter)
BEIRUT — President Michel Aoun on Monday informed the United Nations’ Special Coordinator for Lebanon Joanna Wronecka about “Lebanon's commitment to Resolution 1701 and the return of the US mediator Amos Hochstein to Lebanon at the end of this week to discuss the latest developments related to the indirect negotiations for demarcating the border,” the Presidency’s Twitter account reported.
Here’s what we know:
• Last week, US State Department spokesman Ned Price said that his department has “not yet announced a trip” for Hochstein to Lebanon. Hochstein last visited Lebanon in his capacity as mediator in June.
• Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, amid tensions between Hezbollah and Israel regarding the maritime borders negotiations, warned “if the extraction of oil and gas started [from Israel] in September before Lebanon gets its rights, we are going to a fight and have set a goal and we will act accordingly,” in a broadcasted speech on Monday.
• On July 6, Aoun said that the Lebanese-Israeli maritime border negotiations will conclude “soon.” "We have reached the beginning of an agreement with the Americans who are mediating with Israel … the solution is for the interest of Lebanon and everyone,” Aoun added.
• This comes after Israel deployed a floating production ship to the Karish gas field on June 5, located in the disputed waters between Lebanon and Israel causing tensions between the two countries. The incident was followed by a resumption of the indirect negotiations between the two countries after they had been suspended for months.