HAIFA, Israel—Israel and Lebanon signed a maritime agreement on Oct. 27 that settles a sea border between the two states, which don’t have diplomatic relations and have been officially in a state of war for decades.
The deal, which has the potential to unlock additional natural gas production in the Mediterranean at a time of global energy flow disruptions, had been finalized on Oct. 11, according to Israeli and Lebanese officials.
Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid and Lebanese President Michel Aoun both hailed the U.S.-mediated agreement.
Lapid said in a statement that the deal is a “historic achievement that will strengthen Israeli security, will bring billions to Israel’s economy, and ensure stability on the northern border,” while Aoun wrote on Twitter on Oct. 13 that it “is a historic achievement because we were able to recover an area of ​​860 square kilometers that was the subject of a dispute.”…