Israeli Government Approves Agreement With Lebanon to Demarcate Maritime Borders

TEL AVIV (Sputnik) - The Israeli government approved by a majority vote an agreement with Lebanon on the demarcation of maritime borders, the prime minister's office said on Wednesday.

"The government overwhelmingly approved the principles of the agreement with Lebanon and Prime Minister Yair Lapid's proposal to submit the agreement to the Knesset," the statement says.

On Wednesday evening, the agreement will be presented to the Knesset. The agreement will then be submitted for government approval.

Israel has reached a historic agreement with Lebanon on maritime demarcation, Lapid said earlier.

In June, Israel urged the Lebanese authorities to accelerate negotiations on the maritime border, called the Karish field its strategic asset and assured that it did not intend to produce gas in the disputed territory.

Land and sea border talks between Lebanon and Israel have been going on in the settlement of Naqoura in southern Lebanon since 1996 on the basis of a memorandum of understanding under the auspices of the United Nations and mediated by the United States.