US Ambassador’s Political Tour Revives Lebanon, Israel Border Demarcation Talks

Lebanon’s President Michel Aoun meets with US Ambassador to Lebanon Dorothy Shea at the presidential palace in Baabda, Lebanon January 26, 2021. (NNA)
Lebanon’s President Michel Aoun meets with US Ambassador to Lebanon Dorothy Shea at the presidential palace in Baabda, Lebanon January 26, 2021. (NNA)
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US Ambassador’s Political Tour Revives Lebanon, Israel Border Demarcation Talks

Lebanon’s President Michel Aoun meets with US Ambassador to Lebanon Dorothy Shea at the presidential palace in Baabda, Lebanon January 26, 2021. (NNA)
Lebanon’s President Michel Aoun meets with US Ambassador to Lebanon Dorothy Shea at the presidential palace in Baabda, Lebanon January 26, 2021. (NNA)

The visit of US Ambassador to Lebanon Dorothy Shea, to President Michel Aoun and Speaker Nabih Berri on Tuesday revived the file of the negotiations on the demarcation of the maritime borders with Israel, which were halted in December.

Well-informed ministerial sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Shea discussed with the Lebanese officials pending files, mainly the border demarcation.

The United States seeks to assume the role of mediator and facilitator of the indirect negotiations, which were launched on Oct. 14.

Four sessions were held between representatives from Lebanon and Israel, but they collided with difficult demands from both sides. The US has expressed readiness to complete its mission even after the negotiations have faltered.

In remarks following his meeting with Shea, Aoun affirmed “Lebanon’s position regarding the resumption of negotiations based on proposals presented during previous meetings.”

Berri, for his part, underlined the need to resume the talks with impetus, “given the importance of the results envisaged for Lebanon and for its sovereign rights to invest in its wealth.”

After announcing the framework agreement to initiate border demarcation negotiations, Lebanon produced a new map demanding an area of 2,290 nautical kilometers, to which the Israelis responded with another map demanding hundreds of additional kilometers in Lebanese economic waters, reaching off the city of Sidon, south of Beirut. As a result, the negotiations were suspended last December and were replaced by a round of bilateral talks conducted by the US envoy in Beirut and Tel Aviv.

Shea hoped the negotiations would resume, the sources told Asharq Al-Awsat, pointing out that the matter was now awaiting Israel’s response.



Palestinians Must Not Be Expelled from Gaza, Berlin Says After Trump Comments 

Internally displaced Palestinians make their way from southern to northern Gaza along Al-Rashid road, central Gaza Strip, 27 January 2025. (EPA)
Internally displaced Palestinians make their way from southern to northern Gaza along Al-Rashid road, central Gaza Strip, 27 January 2025. (EPA)
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Palestinians Must Not Be Expelled from Gaza, Berlin Says After Trump Comments 

Internally displaced Palestinians make their way from southern to northern Gaza along Al-Rashid road, central Gaza Strip, 27 January 2025. (EPA)
Internally displaced Palestinians make their way from southern to northern Gaza along Al-Rashid road, central Gaza Strip, 27 January 2025. (EPA)

The Palestinian population must not be expelled from Gaza, the German foreign ministry said on Monday after US President Donald Trump said Jordan and Egypt should take in Palestinians.

Asked for a reaction to Trump's comments, a foreign ministry spokesperson said Berlin shared the view of "the European Union, our Arab partners, the United Nations ... that the Palestinian population must not be expelled from Gaza and Gaza must not be permanently occupied or recolonized by Israel."

Jordan is already home to several million Palestinians, while tens of thousands live in Egypt. Both countries and other Arab nations reject the idea of Palestinians in Gaza being moved to their countries. Gaza is land that Palestinians would want as part of a future Palestinian state.