Israel and Lebanon have signed a maritime border agreement setting their border in the Mediterranean Sea in an area rich in natural gas reserves.
The US has been mediating between the enemy states for more than a decade over a deal that would allow both countries to extract natural gas with offshore rigs in proximity.
The agreement could provide a much-needed boost for the bankrupt Lebanese economy even though it is still unclear how much gas there is in Lebanese waters.
Israel hopes that two drilling platforms on either side of the maritime border will guarantee quiet and deter the Iranian-backed Lebanese Hizbullah from attacking.
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The signing ceremony at United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon (Unifil) headquarters in Naquora on the border took place after the Israeli cabinet voted in favour of the deal on Thursday morning, two weeks after submitting the deal to the Knesset parliament for review, but not a vote, a procedure confirmed by the High Court of Justice.
Lebanese president Michel Aoun also signed the agreement earlier on Thursday and Beirut’s chief negotiator Elias Bou Saab said it marked the beginning of a “new era.” Mr Aoun was quick to play down the deal as technical in nature and not a precursor of warmer bilateral relations.
Hizbullah chief Hassan Nasrallah had threatened to attack if Israel began extracting gas from its Karish gasfield before the agreement was signed. He said Lebanese officials should not take any step that would lead to a “suspicion of normalisation” and stressed that Israel received no security guarantees.
Thursday’s signing ceremony came only a few days before Israelis go to the polls in a fifth general election in less than four years.
Prime minister Yair Lapid welcomed the deal as a historic breakthrough.
“It is not every day that an enemy state recognises Israel, in a written agreement, in front of the entire international community,” he said.
Mr Lapid’s political rival Binyamin Netanyahu, who is hoping to return to power, had criticised the agreement as a major concession that weakened Israel and originally threatened to rescind it if he wins the election. However, he toned down his opposition after security officials backed the deal and polls indicated that most Israelis were in favour.
US president Joe Biden praised what he termed a historic agreement. “It will secure the interests of both Israel and Lebanon, and it sets the stage for a more stable and prosperous region, ” he said. “This agreement takes us one step closer to realising a vision for a Middle East that is more secure, integrated, and prosperous, delivering benefits for all the people of the region.”
