U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday that the "historic achievement" of the sea border deal between Lebanon and Israel "will advance security, stability, and prosperity for the region," and that it demonstrates "the transformative power of American diplomacy."

United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon Joanna Wronecka on Thursday warmly welcomed “the handover of letters delineating the maritime boundary between Lebanon and Israel following successful U.S. mediation, under the leadership of Special Presidential Coordinator Amos Hochstein.”

“This is a historic achievement at many levels. I hope it will serve as a confidence-building measure that promotes more security and stability in the region and economic benefits for both countries,” said the Special Coordinator who received the signed maritime coordinates from both sides at the UNIFIL premises in Naqoura. The Special Coordinator will deposit the documents at the U.N. Headquarters in New York.

Hezbollah will end an "exceptional" mobilization against Israel after threatening to attack for months, its leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said Thursday after Lebanon and Israel struck a maritime border deal.

"All the exceptional and special measures and mobilization carried out by the resistance for several months are now declared over," Nasrallah said in a televised speech, calling the agreement a "very big victory for Lebanon and its state, people and resistance."

Lebanon and Israel formally concluded a "historic" maritime border deal on Thursday in the presence of U.S. officials, U.S. President Joe Biden said.

"Both parties took the final steps to bring the agreement into force and submitted the final paperwork to the United Nations in the presence of the United States," Biden said in a statement.

Prime Minister-designate Najib Nikati has met with Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi, away from the spotlight, media reports said.

A ministerial source told Asharq al-Awsat newspaper, in remarks published Thursday, that Mikati might meet al-Rahi again, and is also communicating with other Christian spiritual and political leaders, including the leaders of the Lebanese Forces and al-Kataeb parties.

President Michel Aoun denied Thursday that a maritime border deal due to be signed Thursday had "political implications," after Israel said the deal between the two enemy states amounted to Lebanon recognizing Israel.

"Demarcating the southern maritime border is technical work that has no political implications or effects contradicting Lebanon's foreign policy," Aoun said of the deal.

Israel's government on Thursday formally approved a maritime border deal with Lebanon, a U.S.-brokered agreement that paves the way for lucrative offshore gas extraction by the neighbors which remain technically at war.

"The Government of Israel... approved the agreement on a maritime boundary between Israel and Lebanon," a statement from Prime Minister Yair Lapid's office said, hours ahead of the expected signing of separate copies of the document by the two parties.

Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat asked Thursday why the army was absent from the demarcation deal, considering that the deal confirms the "truce."

"Where is the sovereign wealth fund," Jumblat also asked, in a tweet.

Lebanon and Israel were Thursday set to sign a maritime border agreement that paves the way for lucrative offshore gas extraction by the neighbors which remain technically at war.

The U.S.-brokered deal, hailed by President Joe Biden as a "historic breakthrough", comes as Western powers clamor to open up new gas production and reduce vulnerability to supply cuts from Russia. 

Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid on Thursday claimed Israel's foe Lebanon de-facto "recognizes" the state of Israel, due to a sea border deal the two states are set to sign imminently.

"This is a political achievement -- it is not every day that an enemy state recognizes the State of Israel, in a written agreement, in front of the entire international community," Lapid said.