Lebanon-Israel deal a landmark but with limits, experts say

By KAREEM CHEHAYEB and ABBY SEWELL
Associated Press

BEIRUT (AP) — The recent maritime border deal between Lebanon and Israel allocates rights to off-shore natural gas drilling and has been hailed as a game changer. It is far from a peace deal between the two countries which have been officially and sometimes actively at war since 1948. But proponents say the shared interest of exploiting the gas will make another war less likely. Still, analysts say the payoff is likely to be more limited than the ambitious projections by proponents of the U.S.-mediated agreement. Crisis-hit Lebanon badly needs a windfall but experts estimate that potential gas revenues won’t cover more than 10% of the country’s gargantuan debt.