The media office of Deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab issued a statement revealing that a long call took place this afternoon between the U.S. mediator assigned to the maritime border negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, Amos Hochstein, and Deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab. During this conversation, they discussed the course of the negotiations, during which Hochstein updated Bou Saab on the latest communications with Israeli officials, the most recent of which occurred a few days ago. He confirmed that he would continue his communication with Israeli officials in the coming days and would reach out again within a week to clarify some points, in preparation for presenting a written outline of what was discussed during his recent visit to Lebanon.
The lengthy call also addressed what is being reported in some Israeli and international media, which is then relayed by some Lebanese news outlets. Notably, several of these media outlets had broadcast a negative atmosphere approximately two weeks ago regarding developments in the maritime boundary demarcation file, only to shift to positive news in recent days, suggesting a timeline for signing an agreement on this matter. In this context, it was confirmed during the call that all these news reports are speculative and not based on any actual data or official positions.
For his part, Bou Saab reiterated Lebanon's position, pointing out the pressing time factor and emphasizing the need to work within acceptable timelines to serve the negotiation's interests. Bou Saab's statement concluded that "we should not exaggerate in positivity as in negativity, as the communications are not yet finished," especially since Lebanon is negotiating from a position of strength, bolstered by a unified official stance. He also informed the President, the Speaker of Parliament, and Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati about the details of his lengthy discussion with Hochstein.
