Israel, Lebanon Begin New Round of Talks Over Maritime Border - Israeli Energy Ministry

TEL AVIV (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 11th November, 2020) Lebanon and Israel have embarked on a new round of talks to demarcate maritime borders between them, Sputnik has learned from the Israeli Energy Ministry.

"Negotiations have begun," an Israeli Energy Ministry representative told Sputnik.

The talks seek to resolve an overlap between the two rival nations' territorial waters and exclusive economic zones over an area of roughly 330 square miles that is situated over large oil and gas deposits beneath the Mediterranean seabed.

The Lebanese and Israeli delegations held three sessions of US-mediated indirect talks at the headquarters of the UN Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in the southernmost town of Naqoura over the course of October.

Since Hezbollah-dominated Lebanon does not recognize the state of Israel, talks are held indirectly with US and UNIFIL mediation.