Amos Hochstein, a senior adviser to US President Joe Biden, arrives to meet with Lebanon’s President Michel Aoun (not pictured) at the presidential palace in Baabda, Lebanon, September 9, 2022. REUTERS/Aziz Taher

The United States is exploring how it could resolve a long-standing land border dispute between Israel and Lebanon, a senior adviser to US President Joe Biden said on Thursday.

Amos Hochstein, a top adviser for energy and infrastructure issues, told reporters at a press conference at Beirut’s airport that it would be “natural” to look into the matter after he negotiated a framework to settle the Israel-Lebanon maritime boundary last year.

“I think it’s only natural to have a conversation about the rest of what the framework had envisioned as proposed by the Lebanese government,” Hochstein said at the end of a two-day trip to Lebanon. “Over the last couple of days, I’ve been here to listen to the views of the Lebanese government, to go down south and see for myself the Blue Line and the surrounding areas to understand and learn more about what is needed in order to be able to potentially achieve an outcome.”

Israel and Lebanon have never agreed on a permanent border and do not have diplomatic relations, but the current boundary is known as the “Blue Line,” to which Israel withdrew after a 1978 military operation. The United Nations endorsed the line in 2000.

Among the issues of contention between the two countries are Shebaa Farms, which was originally disputed between Lebanon and Syria and remains in Israeli control, and the village of Ghajar, of which Israel took full control in 2006.

Hochstein, whose full title is special presidential coordinator for global infrastructure and energy security, said that it was now time for him to hear from the Israelis and that “the United States always supports a policy that enables stability and security.”

In October, Hochstein negotiated a settlement to the disputed Israel-Lebanon maritime boundary that allowed for both sides to develop offshore natural gas fields and that made reference to an eventual settlement to the land border. 

The UN Security Council on Thursday renewed the mandate for peacekeepers in south Lebanon, but diplomats said that tensions along the border have been at their worst since 2006. Meanwhile, Israel’s ambassador to the UN has previously described the border situation as a “powder keg” with Hezbollah, a widely designated terrorist organization based in Lebanon, constructing observance posts and taking other increasingly provocative actions.

Hochstein on Thursday said that fixing a permanent border could provide much needed economic and political security to Lebanon, which has been in a perennial crisis made worse by the 2020 Beirut port explosion and the collapse of the Lebanese pound.

“Resolving long disputes is always something that can benefit the country,” Hochstein said. “In the case of Lebanon, as we talk about economic reforms and political reforms, if we can also match that with security and the kind of security that demonstrates to the rest of the world that the country is good and open for business, in a reliable manner, that will be good for everyone.”

Hochstein cited the arrival of an offshore drilling rig made possible by the maritime agreement as a positive economic step for Lebanon. However, critics of the deal — including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — have said that any oil and gas profits will ultimately benefit Hezbollah, which maintains significant political influence in Lebanon.