Biden urges Israel and Lebanon to work on implementing agreement on their maritime border

U.S. President Joe Biden has urged Israel and Lebanon to fulfill their commitments and work on the implementation of the new agreement signed Tuesday between the two governments to demarcate the common maritime border.

“The agreement announced today by both governments will provide for the development of energy fields to the benefit of both countries, laying the groundwork for a more stable and prosperous region, and tapping into new energy resources vital to the world,” Biden said in a statement released by the White House.

Biden spoke Tuesday by telephone with both Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid and Lebanese President Michel Aoun after the signing of the agreement, which, according to the U.S. president, will protect both “Israel’s security and economic interests” and “promote the exploitation of Lebanon’s energy resources”.

“I also want to thank French President Emmanuel Macron and his government for their support in these negotiations,” he said, adding that the pact reached between the parties also has an impact on the interests of the United States, as it seeks to build a “more stable, prosperous and integrated region, with lower risks of new conflicts.”

He has therefore thanked the parties for the negotiations and assured that Washington “persists” in diplomacy. “I want to thank our diplomats and everyone in the United States, in the past and present administration, who have worked tirelessly on this bipartisan issue over the years,” he concluded.

The parties agreed after receiving the latest proposal from the U.S. mediator, Amos Hochstein. Lapid acknowledged that the agreement is “a historic achievement that will strengthen Israel’s security, generate billions of dollars for Israel’s economy and ensure stability on the northern border”.

For his part, the deputy speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, Elias abu Saab, has affirmed that “Lebanon has obtained its demands, because they were correct,” and has confirmed that he has delivered Hochstein’s proposal to the country’s president, Michel Aoun.

While the details have not been fully transcended, diplomats familiar with the matter have stated that the pact recognizes the border set with buoys by Israel, allowing Lebanon to enjoy exploitation of the area north of Line 23, including the Qana field. Israel would retain control of Karish and has said it could start work in the area, amid threats to do so by the Lebanese Shiite militia-party Hezbollah.

Israel and Lebanon — which are technically at war and do not maintain diplomatic relations — began a process of indirect talks in October 2020 that are mediated by the United States and held under United Nations auspices at the international body’s headquarters in the Lebanese city of Naqura.

The negotiations revolve around an area of 860 square kilometers which, according to both countries, lie in their respective Exclusive Economic Zones, an issue of particular importance following the discovery of gas reserves in this area which both Israel and Lebanon hope to exploit.