Washington will provide a written guarantee for the maritime border agreement between Israel and Lebanon, a source involved in Israel’s side of the negotiations said on Tuesday.
The main points in the agreement, according to the source, are that the "buoys line," a physical obstacle in the Mediterranean Sea extending out 5 km from the Israel-Lebanon border, will be recognized as the status quo which could only be changed in an agreement between Lebanon and Israel.
The entire area of dispute will be considered Lebanese waters, in accordance with the map Lebanon submitted in 2012, up to what is known as line 23, not the extended triangle that Lebanon demanded in late 2020, known as line 29.
In addition, Israel will receive royalties from TotalEnergies' income from the Kana Reservoir, which reached from Lebanese waters, across the entire area in dispute, and into Israel.
Israel and the French company will continue to negotiate a side deal to protect Israeli economic interests, in which Israel will be paid in proportion to its part of the natural gas field.
Total will not be able to begin developing Kana until it reaches an agreement with Israel.
Written guarantees from the US
Israel will receive written guarantees from the US, the source involved in the negotiations said, including that Washington is committed to Israel's security and economic rights in case Hezbollah or anyone else challenges the signed agreement.
That includes guarantees for the "buoys line," for Israel's economic rights in the Kana Field and that Lebanon's income from the reservoir will not reach Hezbollah, in line with US sanctions.