The American envoy Amos Hochstein. (Credit NNA)
BEIRUT — The US mediator in the Lebanese-Israeli maritime border negotiations, Amos Hochstein, will return Lebanon on Friday, a source at the Presidential Palace told L'Orient Today.
L'Orient Today's source at the Presidential Palace said they did not know how long Hochstein intends to stay in Lebanon, but TV channel LBCI reported Thursday that Hochstein will stay for only two hours.
On Tuesday, Deputy Parliament Speaker Elias Bou Saab said Hochstein's upcoming visit will “not bring a definitive solution” but would provide “another positive step towards one.”
“Things are going in the right direction and we should remain hopeful that this file will end soon," said Bou Saab.
President Michel Aoun said Tuesday that France-based oil and gas company Total Energies could help Lebanon solve the maritime demarcation issues with Israel, and that he will make “calls for help in this regard."
Last Wednesday, Washington said a “lasting compromise is possible” and that the issue is a “key priority” for the Biden administration.
Israel deployed a floating production ship to the Karish gas field on June 5. This caused flared tensions between Israel and Lebanon because field is located in the disputed waters between the two countries. The incident was followed by resumed indirect maritime border negotiations between the two sides after months of suspended talks.