Hezbollah to ‘remain vigilant’ amid Israel-Lebanon maritime border deal

The Lebanese Resistance Movement, Hezbollah, says it will not recognise any maritime border deal between the government and Israel until it is officially signed.

Yesterday, Secretary-General, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, said that until an agreement is finalised, Hezbollah “will remain vigilant”.

“The pending hours are fateful. As the people of Lebanon, we are awaiting (declaration of) an official position on the part of our President and the Zionist enemy,” he said.

Nasrallah’s comments came after the announcement of a historic US-brokered maritime deal was struck between Beirut and Israel, aimed at ending a long-standing dispute over access to the oil and gas fields that straddle both sides of the border. Israel’s Security Cabinet and the government will reportedly convene today to ratify the agreement with Lebanon.

Although details of the agreement have not been released, it has been reported that the Karish gas field would fall under Israeli control, in addition to a small part of the prospective gas field, Qana. The rest of Qana would be under Lebanon’s control and it would pay royalties to Israel for any gas extracted from the Israeli side.

“This is a historic achievement that will strengthen Israel’s security, inject billions into Israel’s economy and ensure the stability of our northern border,” Israeli Prime Minister, Yair Lapid, said in a statement.

Lebanese President, Michel Aoun, hailed the demarcation agreement as “a gift to the Lebanese people”, adding that it will “pull Lebanon out of the abyss”.

“The situation in Lebanon deteriorated a lot after the country fell into an abyss that wasn’t a coincidence, but rather as a result of actions and behaviour that led it to the current situation,” Aoun said. US President, Joe Biden, yesterday described the deal as a “historic breakthrough”.

Hezbollah had previously warned Israel over the use of “force” if Lebanon was prevented from extracting its own natural resources. Yesterday, a senior Hezbollah lawmaker said Lebanon’s firm stance and the Resistance Movement’s efforts had helped the country safeguard its maritime rights. “Had it not been for this [resistance] force that frightened the enemy, we would not have been able to retrieve and maintain our rights,” MP Hussein Al-Jishi said.

READ: Israel Security Cabinet to ratify maritime border deal with Lebanon