Lebanon calls for exploration in offshore gas field to begin after deal with Israel

Lebanese President Michel Aoun on Tuesday urged a French energy company to begin exploring for natural gas in Mediterranean waters, after Lebanon and Israel reached a US-brokered agreement to divide their maritime borders.

According to the Lebanese presidency, Aoun told a delegation from TotalEnergies that he wants drilling to swiftly begin in “Block 9,” which is near the border with Israel and contains the Qana gas field.

Aoun called for the work to begin quickly to make up for the time that the indirect negotiations took to yield a deal, a statement from his office said.

Lebanon’s prime minister similarly asked a visiting group of Total officials to immediately launch exploration after the agreement was announced last week.

The deal, which Lebanon hopes can help lift the country out of its crippling economic crisis, is intended to end a long-running dispute over some 860 square kilometers (330 square miles) of the Mediterranean Sea, covering the Karish and the Qana gas fields.

Aoun announced Lebanon’s official approval of the deal last week, while the Israeli government voted to back the principles of the agreement and send it to the Knesset for a two-week review period, after which the cabinet will vote once again to fully ratify it.

Under the agreement, Israel will receive recognition for its buoy-marked boundary five kilometers (3.1 miles) off the coast of the northern town of Rosh Hanikra, which it established in 2000. After that, Israel’s border will follow the southern edge of the disputed area known as Line 23.

Lebanon will enjoy the economic benefits of the area north of Line 23, including the Qana gas field, while Israel will move ahead with its plans to imminently begin gas production at the Karish field.

Prime Minister Yair Lapid said last week that under the agreed terms, Israel “will receive approximately 17% of the revenues from the Lebanese gas field, the Qana-Sidon field, if and when they will open it.”

The prime minister also argued the deal “staves off” a potential war with Hezbollah, and denied claims by opposition figures that it would funnel money to the Lebanese terror group.