Utibe Ekoson
Lebanon and Israel have reached a historic deal to end a long-running maritime border dispute in the gas-rich Mediterranean Sea, according to negotiators from the two countries.Lebanon’s deputy speaker Elias Bou Saab said this yesterday after submitting the United States-brokered final draft of the deal to President Michel Aoun, that an agreement had been reached that satisfies both sides.Lebanon’s presidency voiced hope that the agreement on the demarcation will be announced as soon as possible. Aoun had previously said that a deal would not signify a partnership with Israel, adding that the two countries are technically at war.Israeli National Security Adviser Eyal Hulata, who headed the Israeli negotiating team, mirrored Bou Saab’s remarks.Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid’s office hailed an historic achievement that will strengthen Israel’s security.A signing date for the deal has not been set yet.
