For years, countries have been fighting over 860 km² of the Mediterranean Sea that covers the Karish and Qana gas fields.
MAHMOUD ZAYYAT / AFP
Israel and Lebanon reached a historic settlement over a longstanding dispute over gasrich waters in Mediterranean Sea, confirmed Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid. The deal aims to end a longstanding dispute over some 860 square kilometers of the Mediterranean Sea, which includes the Karish and Qana gas fields, leaving Israel to exploit the former and Lebanon the latter. It establishes a border between Lebanese and Israeli waters for the first time and also a mechanism for both countries to receive royalties from an offshore gas field crossing the border. The agreement does not affect the common land border. “This is a historic achievement that will strengthen Israel’s security, pump billions into the Israeli economy and ensure the stability of our northern border,” Lapid said in a statement. In the official statement, the prime minister stated that the proposal prepared by the United States conforms to “all the economic and security principles established by Israel.” The Israeli prime minister said he had convened a meeting of Israel’s security cabinet tomorrow, which would be followed by an extraordinary meeting of all ministers in the government he led to evaluate the draft agreement. For the acceptance of the proposals, there was an intensive dialogue between the two delegations over the weekend, mediated by Hochstein, in order to arrive at a draft acceptable to both sides. Lebanese President Michel Aoun considered today’s text “satisfactory” as it “retains Lebanon’s rights to its natural riches” at a time when the country is suffering from one of its worst economic crises and lacks energy sources.
*With information from EFE and Portal