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In October, indirect negotiations began between Lebanon and Israel to demarcate the maritime borders, under the auspices of the United Nations and American mediation.
On Friday, Steinitz warned of the possibility of the talks reaching a dead end and blocking fuel exploration projects in the Mediterranean, accusing Lebanon of changing its position on the border demarcation.
“Lebanon has changed its position on its maritime border with Israel seven times,” he wrote in a tweet on Twitter.
The Israeli minister considered that Lebanon’s current position not only contradicts its previous positions, but also contradicts its position on the maritime borders with Syria, which takes into account the Lebanese islands close to the borders.
His remarks came a day after Lebanese President Michel Aoun confirmed that the demarcation of the maritime border with Israel is based on the line that starts overland from the Ras Naqoura point in southern Lebanon, which is what that Israel refuses to move forward to activate it or even discuss it.
Lebanon and Israel, officially at war, began indirect negotiations last October to demarcate the maritime borders, under the auspices of the United Nations and US mediation.
The negotiations came after a dispute between the two countries over a Mediterranean region rich in oil and gas. To date, four rounds have been held at UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura, southern Lebanon.
The negotiations mainly concern a marine area that extends over some 860 square kilometers, according to a map sent to the United Nations in 2011, but Lebanon later considered it based on erroneous estimates.
During the negotiation sessions, Lebanon demands an additional area of 1,430 square kilometers, including part of the “Karish” field in which the Greek company Energy operates.
In 2018, Lebanon signed the first contract to explore gas and oil in two areas of its territorial waters, one of which, known as Block No. 9, is in the part disputed with Israel. Consequently, Lebanon has no option to operate in this territory except after the borders are demarcated.
