An Israeli warship off the border town of Rosh Hanikra, near Ras el-Naqoura in southern Lebanon, on Oct. 7, 2022. (Credit: Archive photo by Jalaa Marey/AFP)

Is Israel redrawing its maritime border with Lebanon?

The "yellow line" established by the Israeli army in southern Lebanon extends into southern territorial waters.

25 Apr 2026, 09:55 by Layal DAGHER · L'Orient Today

Is Israel redrawing the maritime border with Lebanon, three years after the 2022 delimitation?The question arises since the Israeli army defined its "yellow line" on Lebanese territory on Sunday, which is not limited to villages in the South but extends into southern territorial waters. While experts differ in their interpretation of this "buffer zone," already established in the Gaza Strip during the war following Oct. 7, the Lebanese energy minister considers it "null and void." "This line has no legal value," declared Energy Minister Joe Saddi to L'Orient-Le Jour. He added: "Lebanon signed an agreement that still prevails today. It is the only text with internationally recognized legal value."Concluded in October 2022 under American mediation, the agreement set Line 23 as the...

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