The main points of the emerging agreement: Israel will accept its security demands, Lebanon will accept most of its economic demands

A senior political official noted that the agreement will for the first time turn Israel's security "line of guardrails" at Rosh Hankara into a recognized international border line.

Israel is conducting negotiations with the French company Total on the extent of the royalties that Israel will receive if gas is found in the reservoir in the disputed area. In Israel it is estimated that Lebanon will respond positively to the offer

Barak Ravid

02/10/2022

Sunday, October 02, 2022, 7:30 p.m. Updated: 7:55 p.m.

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In the video: Gantz threatens that if Hezbollah tries to sabotage the negotiations on the maritime border, all of Lebanon will pay the price (Go Live, Institute for Anti-Terrorism Policy at Reichman University)

The draft agreement submitted to Israel and Lebanon by the American envoy Amos Hochstein anchors the security "line of buoys" that Israel unilaterally placed on the Rosh Hankara beach after the withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000 to a recognized international border line, a senior political official said in a press briefing.

Israel's main demand was the anchoring of the "line of buoys" (photo: official website, courtesy of Energian)

why is it important:

• The anchoring of the "line of buoys", which starts from the coast in the border area at Rosh Hankara and stretches west about five kilometers into the Mediterranean Sea, and turning it into a recognized international border line was Israel's main demand during the negotiations with Lebanon in recent months.

• Senior Israeli officials stress that the anchoring of the "Line of Lines" is extremely important for security reasons, because until today it was a line up to which Israel acted unilaterally, which had international legitimacy for the Lebanese side to challenge it.

• In addition, if the "floating line" were to move south from where it is today, this would allow a line of sight and observation from the Lebanese side towards the coastline of northern Israel.

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Behind the Scenes:

• The senior political official noted that National Security Advisor Eyal Hulta met with the American mediator Amos Hochstein three times in the last two weeks to make sure that the draft agreement would be acceptable to Israel even before it was delivered to the parties.

• "We have arrived at a proposal from the American mediator that we estimate will be acceptable to the Lebanese side as well," said the political official.

American mediator Amos Hochstein together with the President of the United States Joe Biden (Photo: AP)

The main points of the emerging agreement:

• The Israeli "floating line" will be anchored as an international border line that is recognized by all the actors involved, especially Lebanon and the United States, and will be deposited in the United Nations.

• A senior political official said that as part of the agreement, Israel will receive financial compensation for its economic rights in the Kaana gas reservoir, from the gas companies Total and ENI that will carry out the gas exploration in the disputed area.

• According to the senior political official, Lebanon will receive the economic rights to the gas reserves in the entire disputed area up to what is known as the 23rd line, but will not receive its demands for economic rights south of the 23rd line.

• The agreement will be binding, will be deposited in the United Nations in a way that anchors it in international law. The United States government will give its guarantee for the implementation of the agreement and so will the French government which holds the majority of the shares of the Total gas company.

• The draft agreement states that there will be a signing ceremony for the agreement with the participation of Israel, Lebanon, the United States and the United Nations. "We are interested in this and think that such a ceremony is important," said the senior political official.

The situation:

• The senior political official noted that the main issue that still remains open is the financial compensation mechanism for Israel.

  The Ministry of Energy is negotiating with the French company Total on the subject.

• Another senior political official stated that the main point of the negotiations is regarding the amount of royalties that Israel will receive if gas is indeed discovered in the Kaana reservoir.

  The negotiations focus on the question of what percentage of the profits Israel will receive.

"The American proposal is acceptable to Prime Minister Lapid", the political official (photo: official website, Amos Ben Gershom/L.A.M.)

What they say:

• Israel accepted its security interests within the framework of the agreement.

  We didn't get the Lebanese position in full, but Lebanon got a large part of what it wanted regarding the economic rights in the disputed territory," said the senior political official.

• A second senior political official added: "The size of the pool is unclear and therefore the amount of the compensation is also unclear. We will not lose from the incident. In any case, the compensation will be a small amount of money compared to the political and security benefits of this agreement."

What next:

• The political source noted that Israel has not yet sent an official answer to the United States regarding the draft agreement.

  However, he emphasized that the American proposal is acceptable to Prime Minister Lapid, Defense Minister Gantz and Alternate Prime Minister Bennett.

• "If everything goes well, then there will be a basis for discussion in the political and security cabinet that will meet on Thursday," said the senior political official.

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