Israel's prime minister said Tuesday that Israel has reached a "historic agreement" with neighboring Lebanon over their shared maritime border after months of U.S.-brokered negotiations.

The agreement would mark a major breakthrough in relations with the two countries, which formally have been at war since Israel's establishment in 1948. But the deal still faces some obstacles, including key legal and political challenges in Israel.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has said that he does not intend to change the date of Thursday’s presidential election session, despite the Free Patriotic Movement’s objection and declared boycott.

Told that the October 13 anniversary is a sensitive topic for the FPM, Berri asked: “Is October 13 an official holiday? No, not as far as I know.”

Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati on Tuesday asked French energy giant TotalEnergies to kick start gas exploration off its shores, after Israel said the two countries have reached a U.S.-mediated deal to settle their maritime border.

Lebanon's search for gas riches in the hydrocarbon-rich eastern Mediterranean had stalled since 2020 over competing claims with Israel over offshore gas fields.

Preparations are underway to officially sign the sea border demarcation agreement between Lebanon and Israel, Qatar’s al-Arabi TV has reported.

“The agreement will be officially signed on October 20 in the border area of Ras al-Naqoura,” the TV network added, quoting unnamed sources.

Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil met Tuesday with Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi and handed him a copy of a "presidential priorities" paper that had been announced last week by the FPM leader.

Bassil said that he will contact the parliamentary blocs to discuss with them the presidential paper.

Israel's prime minister said Tuesday that the country has reached an "historic agreement" with neighboring Lebanon over their shared maritime border after months of U.S.-brokered negotiations, potentially unlocking significant offshore gas production.

Premier Yair Lapid called the deal a "historic achievement that will strengthen Israel's security, inject billions into Israel's economy, and ensure the stability of our northern border."

Lebanon has secured its "full rights" in the latest text drafted by U.S. mediators to demarcate the maritime border with Israel, its lead negotiator said Tuesday, after Israel said it met its terms too.

"Lebanon has obtained its full rights, and all of its remarks have been taken into account," said lead negotiator Elias Bou Saab, the deputy speaker of parliament, after handing the draft to President Michel Aoun.

Both Lebanon and Israel have said that they are satisfied with a draft submitted overnight by U.S. mediator Amos Hochstein and that the draft may lead to a "historic" sea border demarcation deal that will allow both sides to explore for huge reserves of gas off their Mediterranean coasts.

Hochstein submitted an initial set of proposed final terms to Israel and Lebanon earlier this month.

President Michel Aoun on Monday said he hopes for a gas deal with Israel to be reached within the "next few days."

Lebanon is inclined to agree in principle to the U.S. proposal regarding sea border demarcation with Israel, a Lebanese diplomatic source said.

The country will “link the final approval to the return of the Naqoura meetings, in which the documents will be formulated and the technical coordinates will be specified,” the source told Russia’s Sputnik news agency.