Israeli zone extends into Lebanon ’ s maritime territory, raising fears that it could become a long-term ‘ resource grab ’. Israel ’ s imposition of a “ security buffer zone ” in southern Lebanon that extends into Mediterranean waters has alarmed experts who say it ’ s a bid to occupy Lebanon ’ s maritime territory, which has potential oil and gas reserves. The development has drawn significant attention from observers and officials across the country.

Context

Context is essential to fully grasping the implications of this development.

A map of the “ buffer zone ”, which is demarcated by what Israel calls the “ Yellow Line ”, was announced by Avichay Adraee, the Israeli army ’ s Arabic-language spokesperson, on April 19, days after the United States brokered a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon.

Israel claimed it required the buffer zone – which stretches roughly 10km ( 6 miles) north of the Lebanon-Israel border and represents about 6 percent of Lebanese territory – to prevent attacks from Hezbollah fighters.

According to those with knowledge of the situation, experts told Al Jazeera that the new “ defence zone ”, or “ buffer zone ”, not only violates the ceasefire but additionally absorbs Lebanon ’ s Qana gas project, whose exploration rights were explicitly guaranteed to Lebanon under a 2022 US-brokered maritime border agreement with Israel.

Global Analysis

Industry leaders, officials, and analysts have offered a range of perspectives.

Israel ’ s new demarcation line into Lebanon ’ s exclusive economic zone ( EEZ) in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea absorbs two blocks that are part of the Qana gasfield that border Israeli waters: Block 9 and Block 8, where gas exploration is due to begin.

Of particular significance is the fact that in January, weeks before the US and Israel launched the war on Iran, France ’ s TotalEnergies, Italy ’ s Eni and QatarEnergy signed an offshore exploration permit with the Lebanese government for Block 8.

Notably, since 2010, however, Lebanon has not seen much progress regarding offshore gas exploration, and what has been done has been disappointing to numerous, especially as government officials have spent years touting an energy revolution as a potential game-changer for a country that has endured years of financial crises.

Impact

This development is likely to influence decisions and discussions in the weeks ahead.

The proven reserves are the ones you can exploit. ” Following more than a decade of tensions over the demarcation of their maritime borders, Israel and Lebanon signed a demarcation agreement on October 27, 2022, which was mediated by the US.

In a related development, “ It is not purely a maritime boundary agreement but moreover a partnership agreement on how to explore and exploit the resources that may overlap between the two states, ” Aref Fakhry, a maritime lawyer and associate professor at the World Maritime University in Malmö, Sweden, told Al Jazeera.

Further developments have shed additional light on the matter. lebanon technically doesn ’ t recognise the state of Israel, so the US brokered the agreement through its envoy Amos Hochstein without the two states entering into direct talks.

Of particular significance is the fact that the area Israel has placed in the “ buffer zone ” includes waters within 12 nautical miles ( 22.2km) of Lebanon ’ s coast.

In a detail that has not gone unnoticed, fakhry as well noted that the 1982 convention establishes a legal obligation for neig

The Outlook

As this story continues to evolve, all eyes will remain on how key figures and institutions respond. Further developments are expected, and this news outlet will continue to follow the situation closely as it unfolds in the coming days.