Hamas Claims Maritime Deal Victory for Lebanon

By Hamodia Staff

YERUSHALAYIM — On the eve of the signing of an historic Israel-Lebanon maritime agreement, a Hamas official touted the deal as a victory for Lebanon over Israel, The Times of Israel reported on Wednesday.

“Lebanon, at the end of this deal, will get its economic rights, and the Lebanese resistance will succeed in imposing its conditions on Israel. It’s Lebanon’s right to possess the entirety of its rights,” Suhail al-Hindi, a prominent member of the Hamas Politburo, said.

The Hezbollah terror group, which wields great power in Lebanon, reportedly gave its approval to the deal, after scrutinizing the text, line by line, although it was not a formal party in the talks.

Right-wing Israeli politicians, notably opposition leader Binyamin Netanyahu, decried the terms of the deal as a “surrender” to Beirut, citing the cession of the Kana field, which Israel originally had insisted on sharing in the rights to its development. The region will become Lebanese property, with Israel receiving an unspecified amount in compensation.

Al-Hindi used the opportunity to promote Hamas claims for gas rights in Gaza: “That gas belongs to the Palestinian people. It is not right for Israel to possess it. We’re keeping our eyes on the riches of Palestine and will not let Israel steal them,” he said.

The signing ceremony for the maritime boundary agreement is scheduled for Thursday at 3 p.m. local time at the U.N. base in Naqoura, the Prime Minister’s Office announced.

The cabinet still has to approve the deal at its 10:30 a.m. meeting, but that is expected to be a mere formality.

Prime Minister Yair Lapid will sign the agreement in his office at noon, then the Israeli negotiating team will take part in the afternoon ceremony along with a Lebanese delegation, U.S. special envoy Amos Hochstein, and U.N. officials.

It remains unclear whether Israeli and Lebanese officials will sit in the same room at any stage of the ceremony, as the two countries remain technically in a state of war.