Hochstein rules out Netanyahu disavowal of Lebanon gas deal

U.S. energy mediator Amos Hochstein has said that he does not believe that an Israeli government led by Benjamin Netanyahu will renounce the offshore gas agreement that was recently reached with Lebanon.

In an interview with Annahar newspaper, Hochstein said that both Lebanon and Israel respect the international maritime border, adding that the deal has become a fait accompli.

He also pointed out that he has not sensed that the new Israeli government intends to reject the deal, noting that Israel’s new administration would understand the benefits of keeping the agreement.

Asked about the delay in supplying Lebanon with Egyptian gas and Jordanian electricity, Hochstein blamed the Lebanese government for not implementing the needed reforms.

As for the demarcation of the land border between Lebanon and Israel, the U.S. official said that such a move is possible but not amid the absence of a president and a government in Lebanon and the presence of a transitional government in Israel.

He added that Lebanon would start benefitting from the offshore gas resources – if present in commercially viable quantities – within three to four years.