BEIRUT: The Parliament passed a draft law Thursday demarcating maritime borders with Israel during the second of a two-day legislative session, leaving 35 items to be discussed next week. 

The new law is adopted amid a dispute between Lebanon and Israel over its maritime borders. Last month the Israeli government proposed borders which Lebanese officials argue infringe on the country’s exclusive economic zone. Part of the disputed area, which is approximately 854 square kilometers, is believed to hold significant oil and gas reserves.

The 18-article law was drafted in the Parliament’s Public Works, Transport, Energy and Water Committee, headed by MP Mohammad Qabbani.

In line with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which Lebanon signed in 1994, the country is obliged to draft a law specifying maritime areas under its sovereignty. Lebanon is also expected to submit a version of the law to the U.N. 

The Parliament also passed six other laws Thursday, including one that criminalizes human trafficking, and others that increase the punishment for honor killing, and promote full-time teachers in public secondary schools and teachers in the General Directorate for Vocational and Technical Training by four pay levels.

The MPs also voted on laws regarding the financial market and insider trading. 

However, Prime Minister Najib Mikati withdrew a draft law on the agenda to modify the calculation of retirement benefits and end of service indemnities in favor of retired army personnel, saying that it would open doors to many other issues.

The Parliament did not pass a draft law which would have seen one-year prison sentences reduced to nine months. The law was designed to reduce overcrowding in the country’s prisons, which came into focus after a riot broke out in April at the country’s notorious Roumieh prison over deteriorating conditions.

Activists have been calling for the implementation of a series of reforms and had described the proposed law as a step in the right direction.

The parliament still has 35 other items on its agenda which will continue to be under discussion at a legislative session next week, including a draft law concerning the country’s Palestinian refugee camps which would reduce the number of entry points and require government monitoring of UNRWA projects in the camps. The session will also tackle the smoking ban draft law, which would prohibit smoking in all public places. 

The MPs are also expected to begin work in the session to increase Lebanon's electricity production by 700 megawatts. 

The Parliament approved 25 laws during Wednesday’s session, including a draft law to raise the minimum wage of employees in state administration and the Lebanese University, as well as municipalities and state institutions not subject to the Labor Law.