Lebanon Asks For US Mediation After Israel Gas Ship Move

Lebanon on Monday called for US mediation after Israel moved a gas production vessel into an offshore field, a part of which is claimed by Beirut.

The ship operated by London-listed Energean Plc arrived in the Karish gas field on Sunday and will immediately commence operations, Energean said in a statement.

The move immediately drew condemnation from Lebanon's president and prime minister who held talks on Monday to discuss next steps.

The two agreed to "invite US envoy Amos Hochstein to Beirut to look into restarting negotiations to demarcate Lebanon's southern maritime border" which stalled last May, said a statement by Prime Minister Najib Mikati.

"Any exploration, drilling or extraction carried out by Israel in the disputed areas constitutes a provocation and an act of aggression," the statement said.