U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Dorothy Shea has thanked all Lebanese officials who contributed to reaching a tentative agreement with Israel over the demarcation of the maritime border, saying the deal “sets the stage for a more prosperous and stable Lebanon.”

In a video message, Shea expressed to all those involved Washington’s “profound gratitude, starting with President (Michel) Aoun and his team, Speaker (Nabih) Berri and his principal adviser, and Prime Minister(-designate Najib) Mikati.”

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has hailed, in a statement, the "historic breakthrough on the Israel-Lebanon maritime boundary."

"This breakthrough promises to usher in a new era of prosperity and stability in the Middle East and will provide vital energy to the people of the region and to the world," Blinken said.

Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Tuesday cautiously welcomed the Lebanese, Israeli and American declarations about an imminent sea border demarcation deal between Lebanon and Israel, noting that his group will maintain its military readiness until the final agreement is signed by the two sides.

“We are awaiting the declaration of the official stance by the president… We are awaiting the official stance of the enemy's government. What's important is what will happen tomorrow in the meeting of Israel's cabinet,” Nasrallah said in a televised address marking the Prophet’s Birthday.

U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday hailed a U.S.-brokered agreement between Israel and Lebanon to settle their maritime border dispute as "a historic breakthrough," and urged all parties to stick to the deal.

Negotiations between the neighboring countries, which are still technically at war, had suffered repeated setbacks since their launch in 2020 but gained momentum in recent weeks with both sides eyeing revenue from potentially rich Mediterranean gas fields.

The government formation efforts are not deadlocked and mediators are seeking a solution for the complications, al-Joumhouria newspaper quoted “credible political sources” as saying.

“General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim is carrying out contacts with some sides, while Hezbollah is seeking to ease the stance of Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil. Accordingly, things are not deadlocked until now and might lead to a breakthrough at any moment,” the sources added.

Israel's prime minister said Tuesday that Israel has reached a "historic agreement" with neighboring Lebanon over their shared maritime border after months of U.S.-brokered negotiations.

The agreement would mark a major breakthrough in relations with the two countries, which formally have been at war since Israel's establishment in 1948. But the deal still faces some obstacles, including key legal and political challenges in Israel.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has said that he does not intend to change the date of Thursday’s presidential election session, despite the Free Patriotic Movement’s objection and declared boycott.

Told that the October 13 anniversary is a sensitive topic for the FPM, Berri asked: “Is October 13 an official holiday? No, not as far as I know.”

Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati on Tuesday asked French energy giant TotalEnergies to kick start gas exploration off its shores, after Israel said the two countries have reached a U.S.-mediated deal to settle their maritime border.

Lebanon's search for gas riches in the hydrocarbon-rich eastern Mediterranean had stalled since 2020 over competing claims with Israel over offshore gas fields.

Preparations are underway to officially sign the sea border demarcation agreement between Lebanon and Israel, Qatar’s al-Arabi TV has reported.

“The agreement will be officially signed on October 20 in the border area of Ras al-Naqoura,” the TV network added, quoting unnamed sources.

Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil met Tuesday with Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi and handed him a copy of a "presidential priorities" paper that had been announced last week by the FPM leader.

Bassil said that he will contact the parliamentary blocs to discuss with them the presidential paper.