Gantz says Lebanese-Israeli deal can lead to 'positive developments in the Middle East'

Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz said Friday, during a meeting with US envoy Amos Hochstein, that the agreement reached the day before with Lebanon on the delineation of the maritime border common to both countries can lead to "positive developments in the Middle East."

"I thanked [Hochstein] and the US Administration for the critical role played in negotiating this agreement, which strengthens regional stability and the security of Israel," Gantz said in a tweet. He also stressed that "this agreement may pave the way for additional progress and positive developments in the Middle East region."

After months of indirect US-brokered negotiations, Beirut and Tel Aviv reached an agreement Thursday delineating their common maritime border, which ensures the distribution of valuable offshore gas fields in the eastern Mediterranean and reduces tension in the region.

While Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid argued that the agreement constituted a de facto "recognition" of Israel by Lebanon, Lebanese President Michel Aoun and his pro-Iranian ally, Hezbollah, denied any normalization of relations between the two countries.