US in new push to resolve Israel-Lebanon sea border dispute

US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State David Satterfield, right, speaks with Lebanese Foreign Minister Gibran Bassil during their meeting at the Lebanese foreign ministry in Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday, May 15, 2019. (AP)

• Israel and Lebanon both claim some 860 square kilometers (330 square miles) of the Mediterranean Sea
• Lebanon hopes to unleash offshore oil and gas production as it grapples with an economic crisis

BEIRUT: A senior US official who has been mediating the maritime border dispute between Israel and Lebanon has met with Lebanese officials for a second day on Wednesday, signaling a new push to resolve the matter.
Israel and Lebanon both claim some 860 square kilometers (330 square miles) of the Mediterranean Sea. Lebanon hopes to unleash offshore oil and gas production as it grapples with an economic crisis. Washington is mediating between the two countries, which have been officially at war since Israel’s creation in 1948.
Acting Assistant Secretary of State David Satterfield met Wednesday with Lebanese President Michel Aoun and Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil. He also met with Prime Minister Saad Hariri for a second time on the visit. Satterfield made no comments to the press.