Lebanese Caution after Hochstein Lauds ‘Very Good Progress’ in Maritime Border Talks

Amos Hochstein meets with President Michel Aoun (Dalati & Nohra)
Amos Hochstein meets with President Michel Aoun (Dalati & Nohra)
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Lebanese Caution after Hochstein Lauds ‘Very Good Progress’ in Maritime Border Talks

Amos Hochstein meets with President Michel Aoun (Dalati & Nohra)
Amos Hochstein meets with President Michel Aoun (Dalati & Nohra)

The US mediator arbitrating negotiations of the maritime border between Lebanon and Israel, Amos Hochstein, reported “very good progress” towards arranging for a deal that benefits the Lebanese economy.

Hochstein’s optimism followed his meetings with several Lebanese officials in Beirut.

Many in Lebanon remain “cautious” as the results of talks suggest a delay in time before completing a deal, a matter which adds to rising tensions considering threats made by Hezbollah.

Lebanon and Israel are engaged in US-brokered negotiations to demarcate maritime borders, which would help define each party’s share of oil and gas resources and pave the way for further exploration.

Hochstein arrived in Beirut on Friday.

The US mediator held rounds of talks with senior officials, and met with President Michel Aoun, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, in addition to Deputy Speaker of Parliament Elias Bou Saab, Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdullah Bou Habib and Director of General Security, Major General Abbas Ibrahim.

Hochstein updated Lebanese officials on his contacts during the past weeks following a prior visit to Beirut.

Besides discussing his contacts with the Israeli side, Hochstein also reviewed the results of his visit to France, including talks with the French energy company “Total,” which is in charge of drilling in Lebanese territorial waters, accompanying sources told Asharq Al-Awsat.

Sources said that the US mediator “did not carry a decisive Israeli response to Lebanese demands,” stressing that the delay in reaching an agreement, “is something that does not satisfy the Lebanese who insist on achieving it as soon as possible.”

Moreover, Lebanon categorically rejects establishing joint fields with Israel.

Hochstein, after concluding his trip to Lebanon, travelled to Doha, sources revealed.

Lebanon and Israel, formally at war since 1948, have no diplomatic ties and are negotiating over an area measuring more than 860 square kilometers of the Mediterranean Sea that is believed to contain significant offshore gas reserves. Both countries have made claims to the territory.



At Least 15 Killed in Suicide Bombing at Damascus Church

A Syrian man reacts inside Mar Elias church where a suicide bomber detonated himself in Dweila in the outskirts of Damascus, Syria, Sunday June 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)
A Syrian man reacts inside Mar Elias church where a suicide bomber detonated himself in Dweila in the outskirts of Damascus, Syria, Sunday June 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)
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At Least 15 Killed in Suicide Bombing at Damascus Church

A Syrian man reacts inside Mar Elias church where a suicide bomber detonated himself in Dweila in the outskirts of Damascus, Syria, Sunday June 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)
A Syrian man reacts inside Mar Elias church where a suicide bomber detonated himself in Dweila in the outskirts of Damascus, Syria, Sunday June 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Omar Sanadiki)

At least 15 people were killed when a suicide bomber blew himself up at the Mar Elias Church in the Dweila neighborhood of Syria's capital Damascus on Sunday, security sources said.

Syria's interior ministry said the suicide bomber was an ISIS member. He entered the church, opened fire and then detonated his explosive vest, the ministry added in a statement.

A security source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said two men were involved in the attack, including the one who blew himself up.

Syria's state news agency cited the health ministry as putting the preliminary casualty toll at nine dead and 13 injured.

Some local media reported that children were among the casualties.

A livestream from the site by Syria's civil defense, the White Helmets, showed scenes of destruction from within the church, including a bloodied floor and shattered church pews and masonry.

Syrian Information Minister Hamza Mostafa condemned the attack, calling it a terrorist attack.

“This cowardly act goes against the civic values that brings us together,” he said in a post on X. “We will not back down from our commitment to equal citizenship ... and we also affirm the state’s pledge to exert all its efforts to combat criminal organizations and to protect society from all attacks threatening its safety.”