US attempts mediation in Lebanon-Israel border row

A senior US diplomat met Lebanon’s foreign minister yesterday in Beirut. The meeting was part of a US diplomacy effort to resolve a worsening dispute between Israel and Lebanon over a border wall and energy drilling in disputed waters.

Disputes over Israeli construction of the border wall, Lebanon’s start of oil and gas exploration at sea and the growing arsenal of Lebanon’s Iran-backed Shiite group Hezbollah have caused an increase in tensions between the countries.

Lebanon this month signed its first offshore energy exploration and production agreements with a consortium of France’s Total, Italy’s Eni and Russia’s Novatek. One of two blocks given to the consortium, Block 9, is partially in waters claimed by Israel.

David Satterfield, the acting US assistant secretary of state for near eastern affairs, has been travelling back and forth between Israel and Lebanon in an attempt to resolve the disputes.

Mr Satterfield and Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil also met last Friday, after which Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri reiterated the Lebanese state’s rejection of US proposals to resolve the maritime dispute as unacceptable.

This was an apparent reference to a maritime demarcation line proposed by US diplomat Frederic Hof in 2012, which would give Lebanon about two thirds and Israel the rest of a disputed triangular area of sea of about 860 square kilometres.

The US embassy in Lebanon said Mr Satterfield “continues to engage” on regional issues and on helping Lebanon to develop its resources in agreement with its neighbours.

Envoy David Satterfield’s efforts have met with scepticism and rejection from politicians on the Lebanese side