Lebanon, Israel resume sea border talks

An Israeli soldier opens a gate at a military base leading to the border crossing with Lebanon at Rosh Hanikra, northern Israel October 28, 2020. REUTERS/Amir Cohen

Lebanon and Israel resumed US-mediated negotiations on Wednesday to demarcate their maritime border.

A first round of the demarcation talks was held on Oct. 14 in the presence of the US State Department's top official for the region, David Schenker, who chaired the opening session, and former US Ambassador to Algeria, John Desrocher, who was the mediator in the talks.

Lebanon is locked in a dispute with Israel over an area in the Mediterranean Sea spanning about 860 square kilometers (some 332 square miles), known as Zone No. 9, which is rich with oil and gas.

In 2016, Beirut announced the launch of the first round of licenses for exploration.

Earlier this month, Lebanese President Michel Aoun said the border demarcation talks with Israel will be “technical”.

The maritime borders between Lebanon and Israel have not seen any military conflicts, unlike their land borders.

Lebanese group Hezbollah controls the area bordering Israel, and sporadic tensions take place from time to time as Tel Aviv accuses the Shia group of attempting to breach the border.

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