The US maritime border mediator Amos Hochstein. (Credit NNA)
BEIRUT —The US envoy Amos Hochstein, who supervises the indirect negotiations between Lebanon and Israel over their common maritime border, arrived at the Baabda Palace at 12:30 p.m. and is set to meet several Lebanese officials for a couple of hours, before giving a statement from Beirut International Airport prior to his departure.
Here's what we know:
• Hochstein met with President Michel Aoun in Baabda, as well as with the Deputy Speaker of Parliament Elias Bou Saab and the Director of General Security Abbas Ibrahim, according to L'Orient Today's correspondent.
• Last week, Washington asserted that a "lasting compromise is possible" and that the issue is a "key priority" of US President Joe Biden's administration.
• 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 maritime border negotiations between the two countries after they had been suspended for months.
Additional reporting by Hoda Chedid.