Israel and Lebanon, two countries that have been technically at war since 1948, have recently arrived at a U.S.-brokered maritime border agreement. This accord sets the path for mutually profitable offshore gas extraction. The deal follows numerous years of bickering over the 860-square kilometer maritime space claimed by both nations in the Mediterranean Sea.
The Background of Dispute
For decades, there have existed tensions between Israel and Lebanon due to their competing claims over offshore gas fields which include part of the Karish gas field and Qana. The situation became more intense when Lebanon’s powerful political and militant group, Hezbollah, that enjoys Iran’s backing, posed a threat to the Karish gas field that was under Israel’s development. In 2011, it was decided that the United Nations would mediate in this dispute after both countries declared overlapping boundaries in the Mediterranean Sea. This issue took a more serious turn when, a decade ago, Israel discovered two gas fields off its coast which promised to turn it into an energy exporter.
Deal Outline and Implications
The new agreement resolves a territorial spat in the eastern Mediterranean Sea where Lebanon wants to explore for natural gas. The gas field is situated on the maritime boundary shared by the two countries. Under this deal, Israel gets complete rights to explore the Karish field while Lebanon obtains full rights in the nearby Qana field. Moreover, Lebanon has agreed to give Israel a share of the royalties.
For the very first time, the agreement demarcates a border between Lebanese and Israeli waters primarily along what is referred to as Line 23. However, it leaves untouched the shared land border or the Blue Line drawn by the United Nations following Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000.
The Importance of the Agreement
This agreement is expected to forestall any immediate threats of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon. It promises to open up new energy sources and income streams for both the countries. This is particularly crucial for Lebanon, which currently grapples with a significant energy and financial crisis.
The deal also holds a potential offer of a new gas source for Europe at a time when it faces energy shortages due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
A Look into Previous Year Questions in UPSC Civil Services Examination
To appreciate the scope of this news, let us look at two previous year questions from the UPSC Civil Services Examination that involved maritime boundaries and countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea.
In 2019, question “Consider the following pairs: (Sea – Bordering Country) 1. Adriatic Sea: Albania 2. Black Sea: Croatia 3. Caspian Sea: Kazakhstan 4. Mediterranean Sea: Morocco 5. Red Sea: Syria” was asked to test aspirant’s knowledge about geographical concepts. The correct answer was option (b): 1, 3 and 4 only.
Similarly, in 2017, aspirants were asked to identify countries bordered by the Mediterranean Sea with the question “Mediterranean Sea is a border of which of the following countries? 1. Jordan 2. Iraq 3. Lebanon 4. Syria”. The correct option was (c): 3 and 4 only.
Last Modified: February 18, 2024