Lebanon, Israel resume sea border demarcation talks
15:22, 11/11/2020, WednesdayU: Update: 15:25, 11/11/2020, Wednesday
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A jeep drives on the Lebanese side of the border fence with Israel, as seen from Rosh Hanikra, northern Israel October 28, 2020. REUTERS/Amir Cohen
Two countries held their first round of talks on Oct. 14
A third round of indirect negotiations between Lebanon and Israel to demarcate their maritime border kicked off on Wednesday.
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 in the area.
The 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 mediated the talks.
Last month, Lebanese President Michel Aoun said the border demarcation talks with Israel were “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.