Berri says Israel deal doesn't require debate in parliament

Speaker Nabih Berri has announced that the sea border demarcation deal with Israel “does not require a debate in parliament because it is not an agreement with Israel.”

Berri added, in remarks to Asharq al-Awsat newspaper, that he has asked parliament’s general secretariat to distribute the deal’s text to MPs so that they take note of it, following calls by some lawmakers for discussing it in parliament.

“We (the MPs of the Change bloc) demand convening parliament in an emergency session in relation to the border demarcation issue,” MP Melhem Khalaf said at a press conference.

“Seeing as it is impermissible to give up the country’s territory, and knowing that agreements related to the state’s finances oblige the president to obtain parliament’s approval to confirm them, therefore it is necessary to inform us of the agreement’s text,” Khalaf added.

The text of the agreement sent to both Lebanon and Israel by U..S mediator Amos Hochstein said it "establishes a permanent and equitable resolution of their maritime dispute," according to a leaked copy of the draft agreement.

It will go into force as soon as the US sends a notice confirming it has received from Lebanon and Israel their separate approvals, the deal says.

Lebanon and Israel will then deposit maritime border coordinates with the United Nations -- in a move that will override 2011 submissions by both countries.

Under the agreed coordinates, Israel has full and undisputed rights over the Karish gas field which is expected to start gas production within weeks.

Lebanon will have full rights to operate and explore the so-called Qana or Sidon reservoir, parts of which fall in Israel's territorial waters.

But "Israel will be remunerated" by the firm operating Qana "for its rights to any potential deposits," according to the text of the agreement.

Israel's remuneration will be determined by separate talks between Israel and the energy company operating Qana which is located in Lebanon's Block 9.

Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid on Wednesday said Israel "will receive approximately 17 percent of the revenues from the Lebanese gas field, the Qana-Sidon field, if and when they will open it."

French energy giant TotalEnergies has been licensed to explore the field.