"Israel’s oil and gas exploration, in the disputed area with Lebanon, is a very serious matter. We will not allow encroachment on our internally recognised internal waters", Aoun said at a meeting with a delegation of the Roman Catholic Melkite Bishops, as quoted in a press release on his official website.
According to press release, Aoun "stressed that the issue is extremely dangerous and likely to complicate the situation."
Israel and Lebanon lack a demarcated maritime border. For decades now, various mediators including the United Nations and the United States, attempted in vain to help them reach a consensus. The discovery of large oil reserves in the disputed area only further complicated the dispute.
Last week, the Israeli government announced plans to begin drilling in the so-called Block 72 that is located in the disputed territorial waters in the Eastern Mediterranean in vicinity of Lebanon's own Block 9 where it is due to start exploring for gas in the coming months.
