Israel and Lebanon announced on Thursday that they have agreed to hold US-mediated negotiations on their maritime border. Israel and Lebanon have been in a state of war since 1982. The discussions will be held at the headquarters of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in Naquora, on the Israel-Lebanon border.
The talks are scheduled to begin next week, and they will be the first-ever direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon on non-security matters. They will involve the dispute over an area of approximately 860 sq. km. in the Eastern Mediterranean extending out from the western-most point of the border between the two countries.
Although Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said the sides had agreed to work out disagreements about the Blue Line, in addition to the maritime border, this has subsequently been denied by senior Israeli officials.
Although Israel has not ruled out Blue Line negotiations, Israeli media has reported that they would have to be held separately, and that different people would be involved. The Energy Ministry is deeply involved in the maritime border talks, because there is natural gas in that part of the Mediterranean, which both sides want to develop.
The Blue Line is the land border between Israel and Lebanon after Israel withdrew from southern Lebanon in May 2000. UNIFIL marked the line with blue barrels, giving the line its nickname.
Land border negotiations with Lebanon would likely focus on Mount Dov, an area of the Golan Heights at the intersection of the Lebanese-Syrian border. Lebanon and Syria had a dispute over the territory. Israel took control of the Golan Heights, including Mount Dov, in 1967, and asserted sovereignty over the area in 1981.
When Israel pulled out of southern Lebanon in 2000, the UN certified the departure, but Hezbollah and others in Lebanon consider Israel to be occupying Mount Dov, which they call Shaba Farms. LINK
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has announced that he will be making a televised address on Wednesday, which may include a statement on the scheduled maritime border negotiations.
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Hey … they’re talking
Just complete the negotiations and finalize the co-ordinates …
There’s no GAS discovered in that triangle yet … eh?
Finish it …
Lebanon would be nuts to even discuss this with Israel, the original 1948 sea territory was much further south than even the one Lebanon claims today. Not content with land thefts the ME Cancer is stealing water borders too, there must be a gas field near it
Until Erdogan arrives and says: “all the gas fields belong to me”.
Turkey does not threaten Israel militarily. It does not seem to be changing anytime soon.
But they can threaten Lebanon
nah
If you say so
Mr. Erdogan has just stated in a speech to the Parliament that Jerusalem is ours.
So what. Who is that Erdogan.
Just words.
That is right.
Israel’s future is looking very tenuous. Mr. Erdogan has just proclaimed that Jerusalem is ours and it is a duty of every good Muslim to liberate Palestine.
Who is Erdogan?
Since then the whole world has changed about sea-territories, so You comment is wrong.
Hezbolla will make sure the dispute continues
This is also my feeling. But the Lebanese won’t forgive Hezbollah if it thwart this agreement.
This agreement. Why? I see in the map that the gas will never be inside Lebanon’s maritime borders.
So agreement for what? For some km^2 of fish?
There have never been gas exploration in Lebanon’s territorial waters. Once there is an agreement with Israel, international companies will not be afraid to look for gas in Lebanon’s territorial waters. There is a likelihood of finding gas in the disputed area because there is an Israeli reservoir not far away.
According to my knowledge I remember the structures below change there, so Lebanon hardly should have anything and Syria nothing.
At the map above You see “gasa” and “egypt” is the direction for finding something.
As I wrote above, I agree. Most likely its only a little more then a sniffer.
A kind of compromis could be Israel doung the research and if there are something share the profit minus the drilling costs.
Exactly Sauron.
EXACTLY GAS IS NEEDED KIKER!
I’m beginning think Hezbollah doesn’t even exist. For all the rhetoric, they seem to be nothing but punching bags for Israel, while Israel racks up the Hez bodies everywhere year after year except in Southern Lebanon. An imaginary Hezbollah threat seems extraordinarily useful to Israel as an eternal justification for any and all regional cross-border aggression. No steam-fitting shop in Lebanon is safe from the eternally-vigilant IDF.
Simpleton.
Compared to him, You anytime is minus.
Its sharp both ways – yes.
As long as they can plunder Lebanon they will. They are among the lowest productivis in Lebanon.
If the negotiations succeed, it will be a tremendous achievement for Lebanon. Utilization of gas reserves is the only option for Lebanon to recover from the economic crisis in which it finds itself.
I read about it too in our media, most Israelis were happy and the comments were positive. I wish I could translate all those comments from Hebrew, some hated it that’s true but most of us would rather have normalization with Lebanon. However, there is one man there that refuses every compromise, and we know who he is working for…
“However, there is one man there that refuses every compromise, and we know who he is working for” – ?
I meant Nasrallah Free Man, it’s a direct talks between Israel and Lebanon and I’m sure he would get his orders from Tehran to ruin any future deal.
Despite the difficult past, I can see overwhelming support in both Lebanon and Israel for an agreement between the two countries.
Hope so.
If Lebanon emerges from the economic crisis thanks to gas reserves. I don’t see war on the horizon. Lebanon will have something to lose, and Hezbollah will not risk it.
Risk what ?
Healthy economy .
” If Lebanon emerges from the economic crisis thanks to gas reserves ”
It will need a totally new political setup first, otherwise, the Lebanese ” elite ” will just steal the funds.
” hold US-mediated negotiations ” Why not Russian or Chinese mediation ? Because everyone is afraid of the Khazar, its unbelievable. Goodbye Lebanon, I’m sure these ” negotiations will end well for you.
We all have seen many negotations mediated by America how they end up for weaker side. Fuck America, and fuck theirs meditations. Why noy Russian/Iran/Chinese meditations? America is going down.
Lebanon is not the “weaker side since the Western puppet Government resigned in Lebanon. I can think of no better leader for Lebanon than Nasrallah. Lebanon will grow, and prosper without Western interference in it’s Government. Hezbollah is wildly popular with the people. Should the militia become the Government of Lebanon, it’s predictable, trade, and military alliances with countries that as militia could not gain. Currently, Israel is not prepared to go to war against Hezbollah. These negotiations with the fake State of Israel, will change nothing, the pretenders will continue to plough on in the same arrogant sociopath, lunatic manner it has for it’s short, and temporary existence. I think Hezbollah is not fooled by pretender antics.
Every single line and letter in this is lie. Very impresssing.
Not even small children with candy in ´botrh hands told by Grandmothers and Fathers will belive any of that.
Yoy must be a realtive to Kafka:)
That is right my friend. No other party is more popular than Hezbollah across middle east. Amongst all Arabs, all Muslims or Christians or anyone else for that manner.
DID SOMEONE MENTION GAS? KIKERS!
Maybee You should wonder why the Russians themself or Lebanon or Syria has no contacted Israel for it. Russia is nearbye and has good relations to Israel.
Doing absolutly nothing is doing something very much.
You could send a letter to Putin and Lavrov and ask if they would not be a helping hand too.
Let’s face it…the freak occupiers have no authority to claim anything let alone negotiate. They came late on the scene ILLEGALLY, and for that “get tf out”. Just when did the freak honker occupiers ever negotiate? All they do is TAKE what isn’t theirs. Stolen Heights, Al Quds and Palestine…the lies they use to justify their disgusting holohoax existance. Death to isreal now and forever…bombing them completely in my thoughts and prayers. DO NOT NEGOTIATE WITH THE ENEMY BECAUSE HE WILL STAB YOU, KICK YOU AND OCCUPY YOU. NEVER FORGET!
Why even listen to someone like You.
There probatly only is a sniffer in that triangle buts it important for all having not much. The best map among many is this: https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/57a6678824d3b4e4cd9692ed0667940c3f301fcbff63cbf64adc5275ff2fc35f.jpg
as per usual the jews put forward a claim that is untenable under the accepted rules governing demarkation of borderlines in the sea and force the other side to the table under the auspices of a third party. and by force of the latter attempt to secure rights they have no legal right to. it started already during speing when pompeo visitedlebanon to discuss right of way for israel over lebanon’s seabed, was turned down where on the problems started, ammonium nitrate explosion (no doubt set off by the jews through mossad) border skirmishes with hezbollah and so on, orchestrated by the jews in cooperation with the the disunited states of A. more at stake than the 860 sq km since the jews desperately need lebanon’s seabed for the pipeline the jews want to have to ship the stolen palestinian gas to europe.that is the stake and the jews must be turned down right away.
“US-mediated negotiations”
Oh yeah, that’s going to be fair. In other words, Lebanon will have to beg for crumbs against two adversaries when they are in their weakest economic position they have been in for decades. At least they didn’t say ‘arbitrated’ but the politicians will still sell Lebanon out.
Win/Win for US/Israel, either Israel gets all of the booty or Hezbollah scuttles the sell out and is then blamed for being religious fanatics who refuse to negotiate w/Jews even their own country desperately needs a settlement. The U.S. will give Israel everything but then promise to compensate Lebanon by giving them loans / aid with lots of strings attached.
sure pompeo tried to bait the lebanese in his spring visit re access to lebanese seabed for israel, with weapons to lebanon, not of the latest model but still reasonably modern and in good condition. it’s all about the gas pipeline from uae/saudi and israel through to europe which require access to the lebanese seabed. and not surprisingly, shortly after having been turned down, the unrest in beirut started, the explosion u s w.
Mint condition M1 Garand’s and M1 Carbines, collectors love them :-) The M1 was a lot nicer to sling around than the bolt action Springfield that it replaced.