Lebanese president to give final response on Israel maritime deal

BEIRUT - Lebanon's top negotiator on a maritime border deal with Israel said that an agreement had been reached that satisfies both sides but a final deal still required the approval of Lebanon's president, who would give his response later Tuesday.

Elias Bou Saab made the comments after meeting with President Michel Aoun and providing him with the latest draft of the deal that he received late on Monday night from the US team that has mediated the dispute.

“Israel is satisfied with the final draft of a US-mediated maritime border deal with Lebanon,” Israel's National Security Council head Eyal Hulata said on Tuesday.

"All our demands were met, the changes that we asked for were corrected. We protected Israel's security interests and are on our way to an historic agreement," Hulata said in a statement.