Israel, US announce Lebanon sea deal, but questions remain

By ILAN BEN ZION
Associated Press

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s prime minister says the country has reached a “historic agreement” with neighboring Lebanon over their shared maritime border after months of U.S.-brokered negotiations. The agreement would mark a major breakthrough in relations with the two countries, which formally have been at war since Israel’s establishment in 1948, and pave the way for natural gas exploration by Lebanon. But the deal still faces some obstacles, including key legal and political challenges in Israel. Lebanese officials indicated they would approve the deal. Lebanon hopes gas exploration will help lift its country out of a deep economic crisis. Both countries claim some 860 square kilometers (330 square miles) of the Mediterranean Sea.