This article was published in LOGI's July 2020 newsletter in partnership with Kulluna Irada. 

Israel’s government in late June agreed to begin exploring for oil and gas in the country’s Block 72 (Alon D), which lies adjacent to Lebanon’s southern Block 9. The closing date for bids is September 23.

Lebanese officials were quick to condemn Israel’s planned exploration, with Prime Minister Hassan Diab affirming Lebanon’s “legitimate rights in its internationally recognized territorial waters." 

Lebanon and Israel have been engaged in a dispute over the demarcation of their maritime borders for several years over a sliver of about 860 square kilometers of maritime area. 

Repeated attempts at U.S-led mediation to resolve the dispute have failed.

For an explainer on the origins of southern dispute, click here.

Photo Source: Al Monitor