U.S. state department spokesperson says maritime border resolution 'possible'

U.S. department of state spokesperson Ned Price has said that U.S. mediator Amos Hochstein is in touch with the parties in Lebanon and Israel and that a resolution to the maritime border conflict is possible.

Price did not announce when would Hochstein head to Lebanon. "I don’t have any travel for Amos Hochstein to announce at the time," he said in a press conference.

He added that the U.S. remains "committed to facilitating negotiations between Lebanon and Israel" and that "progress towards a resolution can only be reached through negotiation."

"We welcome the consultative and open spirit of the parties to reach a final decision, which has, we believe, the potential to yield greater stability, security, and prosperity for Lebanon as well as Israel as well as for the region," Price said.

Concerning the agreement between Lebanon and Egypt and Syria to bring gas from Egypt, Price linked it to "the maritime issue". "We’re speaking to the delimitation of the maritime boundary in this regard," he said.