Lebanon links final approval of US offer to return of Naqoura meetings

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen English + Agencies
9 Oct 2022 23:29
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A Lebanese source said in a statement to Sputnik that Lebanon is officially heading toward announcing its preliminary approval of the proposal.

Karish field currently operated by Energean energy company

A Lebanese diplomatic source confirmed on Sunday that Beirut links the final approval for the American offer on the demarcation of the maritime borders with occupied Palestine to the return of Al-Naqoura indirect meetings, pointing out at the same time to Lebanon's preliminary approval of the American offer.

The Lebanese source said in a statement to Sputnik that Lebanon is officially heading toward announcing its preliminary approval of the proposal, which will be received in the coming hours, while linking the final approval to the return of Al-Naqoura meetings, in which the meeting minutes will be drafted and the technical coordinates will be established.

The source added that with the American mediator Amos Hochstein ending the discussion on the American offer to demarcate the southern maritime borders and preparing to submit a revised final version, Lebanon will have fulfilled one of its demands, which is not to link exploration and extraction in Block 9 and the so-called unexplored Qana field with "Israel's" negotiations with the French company Total on its share of revenues from the southern part of this field located south of line 23.

Earlier today, the Lebanese Presidency announced that President Aoun received a call from Hochstein, in which he briefed him on the recent results of the contacts on the demarcation of the maritime border with occupied Palestine.

The Presidency added that Hochstein confirmed to President Aoun the conclusion of the discussion rounds and the identification of remarks, stating that he will send the final version within a few hours.

In response, the Lebanese presidency, in its statement, said Lebanon will carefully examine the final version of Hochstein's proposal in preparation for taking the appropriate relevant decision.

On October 6, an Israeli official said the Israeli occupation rejected revisions requested by Lebanon to the US-mediated border demarcation proposal.

Lebanese President Michel Aoun responded on Thursday to the Israeli occupation's rejection of Beirut's proposed changes to the Lebanese-Israeli maritime borders agreement. He underlined that Lebanon had proposed the changes to the US-mediated deal with its rights to extract oil in its exclusive economic zone in mind.

Tensions on the southern border of Lebanon are increasing as "Israel" began testing today the Karish field rig and ensuring functionality by starting the rig, a process that includes gas injections from the field into Israeli gas systems. However, following the announcement of tests at the platform, "Israel" urged the US to inform Lebanon that no gas production begins today, in a message seen clearly as intended to Hezbollah, which has threatened "Israel" against starting extraction at Karish prior to reaching an agreement with Lebanon.

It is noteworthy that the Lebanese Resistance, Hezbollah, has been a very effective factor in bringing the Israelis to the indirect negotiations table after it announced from day one that it has the Lebanese government's back in its righteous and sovereign claims.

Extraction of gas from Karish without guarantees to Lebanon that it will be able to explore and extract its maritime resources has been declared a red line by Hezbollah since the negotiations kicked off, with the Israeli military receiving the threats loud and clear and increasing preparation to anticipate operations against the gas platform by the Resistance.