After a long wait, the Lebanese authority eagerly anticipates the return of American mediator Amos Hoekstein within the next 72 hours, where he is set to begin official meetings with officials on Friday to update them on the developments of his mediation efforts with the Israeli side regarding the upcoming maritime demarcation process in the south. He will convey new information regarding the Israeli response to the Lebanese proposal that calls for adopting the coordinates of Line 23 for the Lebanese maritime borders, including the entire Qana field.
According to information circulating ahead of Hoekstein's visit, sources monitoring the file revealed to "Nidaa al-Watan" that he will bring with him "the Israeli perspective on the coordinates of the demarcation lines without delivering a decisive final answer on this matter, as discussions are still ongoing at the negotiation table." They pointed out that formulating the final version of the demarcation agreement will require "additional time to overcome the points of disagreement that remain unresolved, while reiterating the determination of the American administration to see the negotiations reach positive conclusions away from any pressures or deadlines," referencing the removal of the September deadline set by "Hezbollah" from the demarcation timeline, amid sources predicting a "postponement of the final agreement to October or after the end of the term of the Aounian presidency."
In the context of the demarcation negotiations, well-informed sources expressed their belief that reaching a final draft of the maritime border agreement between Lebanon and Israel "is linked to the internal pressures within Israel that oppose demarcation under the threat of 'Hezbollah,' even if this means risking the possibility of a new war on the northern front with Lebanon." They clarified that "Israeli focus at this time is on negotiations regarding gas prices that Israel will supply to Europe to compensate for the interruption of Russian gas to the European continent," especially since predictions suggest that the global price of gas may rise threefold from its current price, potentially causing the cost per cubic foot to jump to $300 at the onset of winter, compared to less than $10 before the Ukrainian war.
While it remains unclear whether the American mediator will meet with the three Lebanese presidents along with their advisers collectively at the presidential palace as he did during his last visit, or if he will return to holding individual meetings at the presidential residences as has been customary in his previous visits, Lebanese circles confirmed to "Nidaa al-Watan" that there is "an effort to maintain the pattern of a trilateral presidential meeting with Hoekstein to reaffirm the unity of the official Lebanese stance on the demarcation issue." However, they also noted that "the success of this effort is tied to the level of escalation that will be reached by the head of the 'Free Patriotic Movement,' Gibran Bassil, in confronting the Speaker of Parliament, Nabih Berri," which could influence the dynamics of the presidential relationship between Baabda and Ain al-Tineh, potentially preventing a trilateral presidential meeting with the American mediator.
