Hochstein landed in Beirut on Monday at the invitation of the Lebanese government, which had objected to the arrival of a vessel operated by London-based Energean off the Mediterranean coast on June 5 to develop a gas field known as Karish.
Israel has said Karish is part of its exclusive economic zone, but Lebanon argues the field is in contested waters and should not be developed until the two countries conclude their indirect talks to delineate their maritime borders.
Last week, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah threatened Israel over the presence of Karish, saying that "sending the Karish rig for gas drilling in the area of the border is aggression against Lebanon."
In 2021, official discussions commenced between representatives of Israel and Lebanon, with the aim of reaching an agreement on their maritime border.
There have been major natural gas discoveries off the coasts of both countries during the last decade, and the border dispute has halted gas exploration in an area that has attracted the interest of US energy companies. READ MORE
