Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Tuesday, Jul 22, 2025

Controversy as maritime border document suggests Lebanon recognized Israel

Controversy as maritime border document suggests Lebanon recognized Israel

There was controversy in Lebanon on Friday after a document on the demarcation of maritime borders appeared to suggest the country had recognized the neighboring state of Israel.
Talks have been ongoing between the two nations for some time amidst a backdrop of broader political tensions, with a state of war technically existing between them.

Possibilities of a thaw in relations have also been hindered by the influence of strongly anti-Israel factions in Lebanese politics, especially the Iran-affiliated Hezbollah.

The document in question, recorded as No. 71836 and published on the UN’s official website, said that “the secretary–general of the United Nations hereby certifies that the following international agreement has been registered with the secretariat in accordance with article 102 of the charter of the United Nations … constituting a maritime agreement between the state of Israel and the Lebanese Republic (with the letters, Oct. 18, 2020) Jerusalem, Oct. 27, 2020 and Baabda Oct. 27, 2022.”

Several Lebanese social media users criticized former Lebanese President Michel Aoun and Hezbollah after the document was published, claiming that it proves the maritime agreement is tantamount to a treaty of recognition of the Israeli state.

One activist told Arab News on condition of anonymity: “The UN document is undeniably clear; Lebanon recognized the state of Israel, and Hezbollah’s role has become limited to protecting the common borders.”

The maritime border between the two states has been described as “historic” in some quarters, requiring long negotiations mediated by the US.

Its signing was hastened by the political and economic crisis that has engulfed Lebanon in recent years heightening Beirut’s need to expedite oil and gas exploration in its territorial waters, just as Israel began to extract oil and gas from the disputed Karish field that lies between the two countries.

Aoun and former Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid signed two separate letters approving the text of the agreement. At the UN headquarters in Naqoura on the Lebanon-Israel border, the letters were delivered to the US mediator, Amos Hochstein, without handshakes between the representatives of the two parties.

The agreement granted Lebanon the Qana field, which is shared in part with Israel, provided that French energy company TotalEnergie, given the rights to drill, paid part of its resulting revenues to Israel. Israel was granted the Karish field in its entirety.

At the time, Lapid said the border demarcation agreement was a diplomatic and economic achievement, specifically mentioning Lebanon’s recognition of Israel. “It is a political achievement because it is not every day that an enemy country recognizes the state of Israel, through a written agreement, and in front of the entire international community,” he said.

Any recognition of Israel was denied at the time by Lebanon, but that claim has now been thrown into doubt.

“Lebanon, through the maritime border demarcation agreement, recognized the existence of the state of Israel,” Muhannad Haj Ali, a researcher at the Carnegie Middle East Center, told Arab News.

“Lebanon traded off the recognition card for stability on the southern border, and the possibility of benefiting from the gas wealth. That particular card was previously crucial in the Arab-Israeli negotiations,” he added.

Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah declared the agreement a great victory for Lebanon, the state, the people, and the resistance. “The circumstances under which the agreement was signed are proof that no talk of normalization is possible,” he said.

During the negotiations with Israel, Nasrallah had threatened to use force against Israeli exploration of the Karish field. After signing the agreement, he said: “With regard to the resistance, the mission is over. All the exceptional measures that the resistance had taken are now over.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
Iran's Parliament Votes to Suspend Cooperation with Nuclear Watchdog
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
Explosions Rock Doha as Iranian Missiles Target Qatar
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Oman Set to Introduce Personal Income Tax, First in Gulf
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
×