Israel is expected to annex a widespread ocean territory of which Lebanon also claims ownership. It was recently decided to bring a bill to define the maritime economic border with Lebanon to be voted on by Israel’s government and Parliament, the Knesset. The move comes after years of delaying the ruling on Israel’s maritime border, primarily because of efforts by the United States and the United Nations to mediate between Israel and Lebanon. Nevertheless, after Lebanon recently advertised a tender to search for natural resources in the disputed area, Israel began promoting the bill that aims to define the area within its maritime territory. The proposed bill aims to claim Israel’s sovereignty over the area, mainly for the purpose of harvesting natural recourses, including oil and gas.
