The Energean gas company announced Wednesday that it has begun extracting gas from the Karish field after the Israeli Energy Ministry granted permission to the company to exploit the field and on the eve of the ceremony of the agreement between the parties on the common maritime border.
«Gas is being produced from the Karish Main-02 well and the flow of gas is steadily increasing,» Energean explained in a statement, adding that sales will get underway «in the coming days,» as reported by ‘The Times of Israel’.
All eyes will be on the Lebanese border town of Naqoura on Thursday, where the parties will hold the signing ceremony of the agreement under the auspices of the US mediator, Amos Hochstein, who will also be present, as confirmed by Washington.
«Hochstein will meet with Lebanese President Michel Aoun, Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, and Prime Minister Nayib Mikati to express appreciation to each for the consultative and open spirit demonstrated throughout the negotiations,» the U.S. State Department said in a statement.
Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid will sign the agreement in his office at noon, after which the Israeli negotiating team will participate in the afternoon ceremony along with a Lebanese delegation, U.S. special mediator Amos Hochstein and UN officials.
After signing the agreement, Hochstein will travel to Israel to meet with Lapid to thank him for «his persistent and principled diplomacy to reach a resolution» of the dispute over the common maritime border.
Both Israel and Lebanon agreed to recognize Israel’s buoyed border, allowing Beirut to enjoy exploitation of the area north of Line 23, including the Qana camp, while Israeli authorities maintain control over Karish amid threats from the Lebanese Shiite militia-party Hezbollah.
