US acting assistant secretary of State for Near Eastern affairs, David Satterfield left Beirut on Friday carrying in his pocket a list of Lebanese proposals to solve the land and maritime border conflict with Israel after hearing a unified position against the so-called “Hoff Line,” in reference to former ambassador Frederick Hoff, who had led similar talks in the term of former US President Barack Obama.
Ministerial informed sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Lebanese proposals include “the participation of a US representative in the regular tripartite meetings at UN positions in the Ras al-Naqoura, southern Lebanon between the Lebanese and Israeli sides. Another proposal suggests forming a four-party political committee in the presence of a US delegate.
The sources also spoke about a proposition to refer the conflict to an international court or to return to the old maps currently present in Britain.
In 2011, Hoff had suggested to demarcate the maritime border between Lebanon and Israel, by giving Lebanon about 550 square kilometers from the 860 square kilometers area,” the sources explained.
Lebanon mobilized at the political and security levels to discuss the repercussions of a border crisis with Israel, which claims the ownership of an offshore oil and gas field known as Block 9, an area in which Lebanon plans to conduct an oil and gas drilling program in 2018.
Satterfield met on Friday with Prime Minister Saad Hariri, Speaker Nabih Berri, and Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, carrying on talks he had kicked off when he arrived to Lebanon a week ago to prepare for the visit of US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who visited Lebanon last Thursday and heard the same Lebanese proposals.
Sources at the Foreign Ministry told the Central News Agency on Friday that talks about a US proposal to divide the disputed area in a way to offer Lebanese 60 percent in exchange to 40 percent to Israel is not accurate, as things are more complicated.
“The American side is trying today to reach a new suggestion related to the area which Israel claims the ownership, after being convinced that Lebanese is attached to rejecting the Hoff Line,” the sources said.
Also on Friday, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah intervened on the line of the border conflict with Israel by saying that Lebanese unified official stance regarding Lebanon's rights to its offshore resources is a key factor to score victory in the regional battle over oil and gas, calling the state to approach this file from a position of strength.
“If the American asks you to bow to his demands to restrain Israel, tell him that he must accept your terms so that you hold Hezbollah back from taking action against Israel," Nasrallah said.
