Eyes are on Beirut’s Dahiyeh on Tuesday as friends and enemies await Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah’s speech. The televised address coincides with an accelerated political activity a day after Lebanon received the updated proposal by US Energy Envoy Amos Hocshtein on an impending deal on the maritime dispute with the Zionist entity.
Sayyed Nasrallah is to deliver a speech via Al-Manar during a ceremony held Tuesday at 20:00 (Beirut time) on the occasion of Prophet Mohammad’s (pbuh) birth anniversary.
The Hezbollah leader is likely to address latest developments, with local and Israeli media expecting that his eminence will tackle the maritime deal.
In his latest speech on October 1, Sayyed Nasrallah reiterated Hezbollah’s stance which fully stands behind the Lebanese State in any decision it takes regarding the maritime deal.
Meanwhile, reports circulated on Tuesday indicated that a white smoke has blanked out the scene, with several media outlets reporting an acceptance of the updated proposal by the Lebanese and Israeli sides.
Bou Saab Hands President Aoun Hochstein Proposal
In Beirut, Lebanese Presidency Press Office announced that Deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab handed over President Michel Aoun the proposal finalized by Hochstein, describing the proposal as ‘satisfying’.
“The Lebanese Presidency considers the final version of the proposal on maritime deal satisfying as it meets demands that were debated during the last months,” a statement by the press office of the Lebanese Presidency announced.
For his part, Bou Saab, Lebanon’s lead negotiator in the issue of maritime deal, said: “For Lebanon, the maritime deal has been finalized,” noting that the US mediator is waiting for the official response by Lebanon.
“Any company that will carry out the offshore gas and oil drilling must not be subject to international sanctions,” Bou Saab said at Baabda Presidential Palace.
The Lebanese deputy speaker used the term “international sanctions” instead of “US sanctions,” which Lebanon asked to be modified after being adopted in Hochstein’s previous proposal.
Bou Saab also visited Speaker Nabih Berri in Ain Al-Tineh to submit the finalized proposal. He stressed, in remarks carried by Al-Manar, that Lebanon will have a united stance towards Hochstein’s updated proposal, noting that “no modifications have been made so far on the updated proposal.”
Bou Saab then handed over the proposal to caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, who, earlier on Tuesday met with a delegation of TotalEnergies Company, in the presence of Caretaker Energy Minister Walid Fayyad.
Mikati Meets Aoun
The caretaker prime minister Najib Mikati met with President Aoun at Baabda Palace, stating that the presidential staff are scrutinizing Hochstein’s final proposal in preparation for its US-brokered approval.
Meanwhile, Mikati on Tuesday asked French energy giant TotalEnergies to kick start gas exploration off its shores.
Lapid Says Deal ‘Historic Achievement’
Elsewhere in the Zionist entity, Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said “historic agreement” has been reached on the maritime dispute with Lebanon.
“This is a historic achievement that will strengthen Israeli security, will bring billions to Israel’s economy and ensure stability on the northern border,” Lapid tweeted, according to Israeli media.
Lapid called a Security Cabinet meeting, followed by a general cabinet meeting for Wednesday to approve the deal, The Jerusalem Post reported, adding that the deal is expected to be submitted to the Knesset for review.
For his part, Israeli national security adviser Eyal Hulata said all of the Israeli government’s demands in the maritime border negotiations with Lebanese officials were met.
“The changes we asked for in the text were made. All of Israel’s security interests were safeguarded. We are on a path towards a historic agreement,” he added.
Source: Al-Manar English Website
