The Information Office of the Lebanese Presidency announced on Sunday evening that the US mediator in the indirect negotiations to demarcate the maritime borders between Lebanon and Israel , Amos Hochstein, will send within hours a copy containing a final version of the proposal related to the demarcation of the maritime border.
The office said in a statement, "The Lebanese side will study the final version carefully in preparation for taking the appropriate decision."
The statement stated that Aoun received a phone call from Hochstein, "in which he briefed him on the results of the recent rounds of contacts with the Lebanese side on the one hand, and the Israeli side on the other, during which the observations submitted by the two sides were studied."
He added, "Hockstein made it clear that the discussion rounds have concluded and the observations that he will send over the next few hours have been outlined in a copy that includes the final version of the proposal related to the demarcation of the southern maritime border. "
An Israeli rejection of the amendments and observations submitted by Lebanon last (Monday) to Hochstein´s proposal to demarcate the maritime borders has put an end to a phase of optimism in reaching an agreement and opened the door to several possibilities and repercussions.
Lebanon´s comments on the border demarcation proposal, according to the Lebanese gas presidency, came earlier to "ensure Lebanon´s rights to explore for oil and natural," and "the remarks prevent any interpretations that do not apply to the framework set by Lebanon for the demarcation." process during negotiations."
In turn, the official "Israel Broadcasting Corporation" said last Thursday that Prime Minister Yair Lapid rejects Lebanon´s comments on the text of the draft agreement submitted by the American mediator last week.
Hochstein had conducted, during the past months, shuttle tours between Lebanon and Israel to reach a settlement over their dispute over a maritime border area in the Mediterranean waters believed to contain quantities of gas and oil.
It is noteworthy that negotiations on the demarcation of the maritime border between Lebanon and Israel were launched in 2020 under the auspices of the United Nations and with American mediation, and then stopped in May 2021 due to differences over the area of ​​the disputed area .
The American mediator will send a final version of the proposal to demarcate the maritime border with Israel
