Two official Lebanese sources anticipated on Thursday the resumption of negotiations between Lebanon and Israel regarding their dispute over maritime borders in the Mediterranean next week. The U.S.-mediated talks began in October in an attempt to resolve the conflict that has hindered oil and gas exploration in an area potentially rich in gas, but discussions have since stalled. A Lebanese official, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, informed Reuters that the American side has notified Lebanon that talks will resume on Monday. The second Lebanese official mentioned that the resumption of talks will coincide with the visit of U.S. mediator John Derouche. The specific day of his arrival in Lebanon has not yet been confirmed. No comments could be obtained from U.S. embassy officials.
Lebanon and Israel held several rounds of discussions in October hosted by the United Nations at a peacekeeping base in southern Lebanon. These talks were the culmination of three years of U.S. diplomatic efforts. However, significant disagreements remained between the two sides after each presented differing maps of the proposed borders, effectively increasing the size of the disputed area. Since the talks stalled, the Lebanese Prime Minister, Minister of Defense, and Minister of Public Works in the caretaker government have agreed on a draft decree expanding Lebanon's claim to include approximately 1,400 square kilometers in its exclusive economic zone.
Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz's office stated that Israel is considering resuming talks but "based on the known disputed area." Israel is already extracting gas from massive offshore fields, while Lebanon has yet to discover commercially viable gas reserves in its waters.
