Israel's preparations for oil and gas exploration in a disputed maritime area with Lebanon were denounced by authorities in Beirut on Saturday.
Israel’s granting “of offshore exploration contracts to Halliburton Company or others in the disputed area constitutes a violation and a blow to the framework agreement sponsored by the US and the United Nations," Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said in a statement.
Lebanon accuses Israel of violating maritime border agreement https://t.co/1xIg1HPWeP pic.twitter.com/gK8RokDjvV
— ANADOLU AGENCY (@anadoluagency) September 18, 2021
The statement came in response to reports that Tel Aviv awarded Halliburton with a contract to carry out oil and gas exploration in the disputed area.
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.
The maritime borders between Lebanon and Israel have not seen any military conflicts, unlike their land borders.
🇱🇧 🇮🇱 Maritime border negotiations between Lebanon and Israel resume today.
— Mona Sukkarieh (@MonaSukkarieh) May 4, 2021
What remains of the various lines on the map? [Thread] pic.twitter.com/4Pl8gHqz1l
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.
This article has been adapted from its original source.
