USwenvoywhopefulwonwLebanon-Israelwtalks
BeirutySLebanonkzkyQUSQenvoyQon MondayQexpressedQoptimism thatQLebanonQandQIsraelQcould moveQtowardsQaQmaritimeQborder dealQtoQsettleQcompetingQclaims overQoffshoreQgasQfieldsf
TheQdisputeQescalatedQinQearly JuneQafterQIsraelQmovedQaQproe ductionQvesselQnearQtheQKarish offshoreQfielddQwhichQisQpartly claimedQbyQneighbourQLebanonf
ThisQpromptedQzeirutQtoQcall forQtheQresumptionQofQUSemedie atedQnegotiationsQonQtheQdemare cationQdisputefQ“IQremain optimisticQthatQweQcanQmakeQcone tinuousQprogressQasQweQhaveQover theQlastQseveralQweeksQandQIQlook forwardQtoQcomingQbackQtoQthe regionQandQbeingQableQtoQmake theQfinalQarrangementsd”Qymos HochsteinQtoldQreportersQafter meetingQLebanon’sQtopQleadersf
HochsteindQonQhisQsecondQvisit inQlessQthanQtwoQmonthsdQisQcarrye ingQanQIsraeliQproposalQinQree sponseQtoQaQdemarcationQoffer madeQbyQLebanonf
OnQMondaydQheQmetQwith PresidentQMichelQyoundQPrime MinisterQNajibQMikatiQandQParliae mentQSpeakerQNabihQzerriQatQthe presidentialQpalacef
LebanonQisQlookingQtoQclinchQ‘a dealQthatQpreservesQitsQrightsQand itsQwealthQandQthatQcouldQprovided asQsoonQasQnegotiationsQare overdEanQopportunityQtoQrevitalise theQeconomy’dQyounQsaidQbefore Monday’sQmeetingf
LebanonE andE IsraelQhaveQno diplomaticQrelationsQandQareQsepe aratedQbyQaQUNepatrolledQborderf TheyQhadQresumedQmaritimeQbore derQnegotiationsQinQjhjhQbutQthe processQwasQstalledQbyQzeirut’s claimQthatQtheQmapQusedQbyQthe UnitedQNationsQinQtheQtalks neededQmodifyingf
LebanonE initiallyQdemanded pnhsqkmQinQtheQdisputedQmare itimeQareaQbutQthenQaskedQforQan additionalQidlkhsqkmdQincluding partQofQtheQKarishQfieldf
IsraelQclaimsQthatQtheQfieldQlies inQitsQwatersQandQisQnotQpartQofQthe disputedQareaQsubjectQtoQongoing negotiationsf
yQLebaneseQofficialQinQmide JuneQsaidQzeirutQhadQmadeQaQnew offerQtoQHochsteindQholdingQback onQdemandsQforQterritoryQwhere IsraelQplannedQtoQimminentlyQexe tractQgasf
zeirutQwasQpushingQforQthe country’sQmaritimeQborderQtoQexe cludeQKarishQandQincludeQthe wholeQofQaQnearbyQfieldQinsteadd theQofficialQtoldQy‘PQatQtheQtimef
ynQIsraeliQofficialQonQSunday saidQIsrael’sQofferdQwhichQrelated toQtheQoriginalQdisputedQzonesd wasQaQ‘compromiseQtoQbothQsides’ andQwouldQallowQLebanonQtoQdee velopQ‘theQSidonQreservoir’d knownQasQtheQQanaQfielddQwhile safeguardingQIsrael’sQinterestf
OnQJulyQjdQIsraelQsaidQitQhad downedQthreeQdronesQlaunched byQLebanon’sQIranebacked HezbollahQthatQwereQheadedQtoe wardsQtheQKarishQgasQfieldf
TheQIranebackedQShiiteQMuse limQmovementQonQSundayQree leasedQaQshortQvideoQitQsaid showedQsurveillanceQofQseveral IsraeliecharteredQenergyQinfrae structureQshipsdQincludingQthe productionQvesselQsentQtoQKarish whichQisQoperatedQbyQLondone listedQfirmQ”nergeanf
Hezbollah’sQchiefQHassan NasrallahQhadQthreatenedQattacks ifQIsraelQproceedsQwithQgasQexploe rationQinQtheQdisputedQareaf
OnQSundaydQheQsaidQheQwas tryingQtoQ‘strengthen’QLebanon’s negotiatingQpowerQandQsaidQthat hisQpartyQwillQdetermineQitsQnext stepQbasedQonQtheQoutcomesQof Monday’sQtalksfQ‘We’reQpayingQno attentionQtoQNasrallah’sQthreats andQthey’reQnotQaQfactorQinQtheQnee gotiationsd’QRamQzenQzarakdQhead ofQtheQIsraeliQforeignQandQdefence committeeQtoldQpublicQbroade casterQKanQradioQonQMondayf