Lebanon approves final version of maritime border deal with Israel: president

STORY: Lebanon approves final version of maritime border deal with Israel: president DATELINE: Oct. 14, 2022 LENGTH: 0:01:08 LOCATION: Beirut CATEGORY: POLITICS SHOTLIST: 1. various of Lebanese President Michel Aoun delivering a speech 2. various of UN ships and buildings STORYLINE: Lebanese President Michel Aoun announced on Thursday Lebanon's approval of the final version of the agreement proposed by the U.S. energy envoy Amos Hochstein to demarcate the maritime border between Lebanon and Israel. Israel and Lebanon have agreed to resolve a decades-long dispute over their maritime border in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, leaders of the two countries announced Tuesday. The deal, a copy of which was seen by Xinhua, allocates exploration and exploitation rights to the French energy giant Total at the contested Qana gas field. Under the deal, Qana would be located mostly within the Lebanese boundary but Total will share some revenues with Israel. The deal also confirms Israel's control of Karish, a gas fie

Israeli PM says maritime border deal reached with Lebanon

STORY: Israeli PM says maritime border deal reached with Lebanon DATELINE: Oct. 12, 2022 LENGTH: 0:01:26 LOCATION: Jerusalem CATEGORY: POLITICS SHOTLIST: 1. various of Israel-Lebanon border 2. various of Karish gas field STORYLINE: Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid announced on Tuesday that a deal has been reached with Lebanon to demarcate a maritime border between the two countries, which have been in an official state of war since 1948, and that the cabinet would be convened later Tuesday to approve it. The prime minister said on the day that he will convene the cabinet and government to approve the U.S.-brokered deal on Wednesday, according to a statement issued by his office. "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," Lapid said. The negotiations on maritime border demarcation between the two sides were launched in 2020 under the auspices of the United Nations with American mediat

Energy firm begins testing at gas field in Israel-Lebanon disputed waters

STORY: Energy firm begins testing at gas field in Israel-Lebanon disputed waters DATELINE: Oct. 10, 2022 LENGTH: 00:00:53 LOCATION: Jerusalem CATEGORY: POLITICS SHOTLIST: 1. various of Karish gas field 2. various of Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid looking at the gas field 3. shot of Karish gas field 4. shot of Israel's separation wall 5. various of an Israeli navy ship in the sea 6. various of the Israel-Lebanon border STORYLINE: London-based Energean began on Sunday gas pumping testing at the production facility of the disputed Karish natural gas field in the Eastern Mediterranean, according to a company statement. The testing was "an important step" in the commissioning process of the floating production facility known as the "Energean Power," installed 90 km off the Israeli coast, Energean said in the statement. The move came after approval by the Israeli Energy Ministry, it added. The potential gas production at the Karish gas field is likely to further increase tensions between Israel and Lebanon

Israeli PM welcomes U.S. proposal on maritime border with Lebanon

STORY: Israeli PM welcomes U.S. proposal on maritime border with Lebanon DATELINE: Oct. 3, 2022 LENGTH: 00:00:53 LOCATION: Jerusalem CATEGORY: POLITICS SHOTLIST: 1. various of the Israeli cabinet meeting (courtesy of GPO) 2. various of Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid speaking (courtesy of GPO) 3. various of Israel's Karish gas field (courtesy of GPO) 4. various of Israel-Lebanon border STORYLINE: Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid on Sunday welcomed a U.S.-brokered proposal for demarcating a maritime border with Lebanon, saying it could increase profits for both countries from natural gas production. Lapid told his weekly cabinet meeting that Israel and Lebanon received the U.S. Energy Envoy Amos Hochstein's proposal for an agreement on a maritime line between the two countries over the weekend. The dispute concerns an area of some 860 square km of the Mediterranean Sea. He said the proposal is undergoing a legal review, adding the approval of the deal would be decided in a cabinet vote and a first cab

Lebanon to invite U.S. envoy to resume indirect border demarcation talks with Israel

STORY: Lebanon to invite U.S. envoy to resume indirect border demarcation talks with Israel DATELINE: June 7, 2022 LENGTH: 00:01:16 LOCATION: Beirut CATEGORY: POLITICS SHOTLIST: 1. A shot for a vessel of the UN 2. A shot for UN peacekeepers 3. A shot for the Lebanese army 4. A shot for a view in Naqoura on the border between Lebanon and Israel 5. A shot for a UN vessel 6. A shot for a sign of Naqoura 7. A shot for UN vehicles patrolling Naqoura 8. A shot for a photo of Nasrallah 9. A shot for a helicopter for the UN STORYLINE: Lebanese authorities on Monday decided to invite U.S. Energy Envoy Amos Hochstein to resume its indirect border demarcation talks with Israel in a bid "to prevent any escalation that would not serve the stability in the region," the National News Agency reported. The decision came after a meeting between Lebanese President Michel Aoun and caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati following that Israel sent an Energean Power ship to enter the Karish oil field, a disputed area between