Court throws out petitions against Israel-Lebanon maritime deal

Tel Aviv, Oct 24 Israel's Supreme Court has dismissed petitions that called to prevent the government from approving a landmark deal setting a maritime border with Lebanon.

A three-judge panel at the court on Sunday decided to throw out four petitions submitted by right-wing groups and activists, reports Xinhua news agency.

The petitions claimed that the government should not conclude the deal ahead of the November 1 general elections, and the government's move to "fast-tracking" the deal requires parliament approval, calling on the court to intervene.

The court did not publish the reasons for the judgment immediately.

The decision paves the way for the deal to receive final approval by the government in a vote expected to be held later this week.

Defence Minister Benny Gantz welcomed the ruling, saying in a tweet: "It will allow us to advance the important agreement on the maritime border with Lebanon in the coming days."

He added that the deal is a "good and right agreement with positive security, political and economic implications for the entire region".

On October 11, Israel and Lebanon made a "historic breakthrough" and agreed to establish a permanent maritime border between them.

A finalised deal would allow the neighbours, which remain formally at war, to exploit natural gas fields under the Mediterranean Sea.

While Israel's Prime Minister Yair Lapid said it would strengthen its security and inject billions into its economy, Lebanese President Michel Aoun described the terms as "satisfactory".

The details of the agreement, which covers an 860 sq.km triangle of the Mediterranean, have not been released.