Lebanon said&nbsp;US-brokered talks to demarcate its&nbsp;maritime&nbsp;border with longtime foe&nbsp;Israel&nbsp;were at a "make or break" point on Thursday after&nbsp;Israel&nbsp;rejected&nbsp;revisions&nbsp;to a draft&nbsp;deal&nbsp;requested by Beirut, throwing years of diplomatic efforts into doubt.

The draft, which has not been made public, had a warm preliminary reception from the&nbsp;Israeli and&nbsp;Lebanese&nbsp;governments. But amid domestic opposition in both countries, Lebanon on Tuesday sought amendments from the&nbsp;US&nbsp;envoy.

On Thursday,&nbsp;Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid "was updated on the details of the substantial changes Lebanon is seeking to make and instructed the negotiating team to reject them", an&nbsp;Israeli official said.

A spokesperson for the&nbsp;US&nbsp;embassy in Jerusalem said the parties were "at a critical stage in the negotiations and the gaps have narrowed."

According to&nbsp;Israeli media, a main sticking point was over recognition of a line of demarcation buoys&nbsp;Israel&nbsp;has strung out to sea from its coast. Lebanon worries about any action that may connote formal acceptance of a shared land border.

Lebanon - which has never recognized the state of&nbsp;Israel, with any broader peace&nbsp;deal&nbsp;beyond the horizon - has also said&nbsp;Israel&nbsp;will earn no royalties from the&nbsp;Lebanese&nbsp;share of gas in the Qana prospect.

Top&nbsp;Lebanese&nbsp;negotiator Elias Bou Saab told Reuters on Thursday that he would only respond to official statements and not to media reports on&nbsp;Israel's stance.

He said the&nbsp;deal&nbsp;"is 90 per cent&nbsp;done but the remaining 10 per cent&nbsp;could make it or break it," adding that he was in constant contact with&nbsp;US&nbsp;mediator Amos Hochstein.

GAS RIG PLAN

Israel&nbsp;has been preparing to activate a gas rig, Karish, which is outside Qana. Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah made veiled threats about Karish that lent urgency to the talks.

Israel&nbsp;previously presented the draft&nbsp;deal&nbsp;with Lebanon, if finalised, as securing Karish. But on Thursday, it changed tack.

Israel&nbsp;is now pressing ahead with Karish, regardless of progress or no progress in the talks, whereas before it cast a successful&nbsp;deal&nbsp;as a means of securing Karish.

"Israel&nbsp;will produce gas from the Karish rig as soon as it is possible to do so," the&nbsp;Israeli official said, adding that negotiations will "stop immediately" in the face of any threats.

Defence Minister Benny Gantz further hardened the tone, saying in a speech that "Lebanon will bear a heavy military price" if Hezbollah attacks, and he put forces on alert.

There was no immediate&nbsp;response from Hezbollah.

&nbsp;

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Lebanon said US-brokered talks to demarcate its maritime border with longtime foe Israel were at a "make or break" point on Thursday after Israel rejected revisions to a draft deal requested by Beirut, throwing years of diplomatic efforts into doubt.

Lebanon said US-brokered talks to demarcate its maritime border with longtime foe Israel were at a "make or break" point on Thursday after Israel rejected revisions to a draft deal requested by Beirut, throwing years of diplomatic efforts into doubt. The draft, which has not been made public, had a warm preliminary reception from the Israeli and Lebanese governments. But amid domestic opposition in both countries, Lebanon on Tuesday sought amendments from the US envoy. On Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid "was updated on the details of the substantial changes Lebanon is seeking to make and instructed the negotiating team to reject them", an Israeli official said. A spokesperson for the US embassy in Jerusalem said the parties were "at a critical stage in the negotiations and the gaps have narrowed." According to Israeli media, a main sticking point was over recognition of a line of demarcation buoys Israel has strung out to sea from its coast. Lebanon worries about any action that may connote formal acceptance of a shared land border. Lebanon - which has never recognized the state of Israel, with any broader peace deal beyond the horizon - has also said Israel will earn no royalties from the Lebanese share of gas in the Qana prospect. Top Lebanese negotiator Elias Bou Saab told Reuters on Thursday that he would only respond to official statements and not to media reports on Israel's stance. He said the deal "is 90 per cent done but the remaining 10 per cent could make it or break it," adding that he was in constant contact with US mediator Amos Hochstein. GAS RIG PLAN Israel has been preparing to activate a gas rig, Karish, which is outside Qana. Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah made veiled threats about Karish that lent urgency to the talks. Israel previously presented the draft deal with Lebanon, if finalised, as securing Karish. But on Thursday, it changed tack. Israel is now pressing ahead with Karish, regardless of progress or no progress in the talks, whereas before it cast a successful deal as a means of securing Karish. "Israel will produce gas from the Karish rig as soon as it is possible to do so," the Israeli official said, adding that negotiations will "stop immediately" in the face of any threats. Defence Minister Benny Gantz further hardened the tone, saying in a speech that "Lebanon will bear a heavy military price" if Hezbollah attacks, and he put forces on alert. There was no immediate response from Hezbollah.

Lebanon says maritime deal 'make or break' after Israel snubs request for changes

Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said that his country will hold UN-mediated talks with Israel over their disputed land and maritime borders.

Lebanon and Israel border dispute: First Israeli-Lebanese talks in 30 years | World News

Lebanon and Israel will hold UN-mediated talks on their disputed land and maritime borders, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri announced Thursday.

The United States will act as a facilitator during the talks, which are due to be held in the southern Lebanon border town of Naqoura, Berri told a news conference without providing a date for the negotiations.

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Lebanon has technically been at war with neighbouring Israel for decades, with tensions sporadically flaring in the border area in Lebanon's south, stronghold of the Shiite Muslim Hezbollah movement.

The two neighbours have no diplomatic ties and mutual suspicion, even animosity, defines their relations.

A key point of contention between Lebanon and Israel concerns oil and gas resources in the eastern Mediterranean, where both countries have sought bids for exploration in their exclusive economic zones.

The maritime border between the countries is disputed.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/netanyahu-vows-forceful-response-if-more-attacks-from-lebanon-323172">Netanyahu vows 'forceful' response if more attacks from Lebanon</a>

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that Israel views with "great gravity" the latest flare-up on the Lebanese border and pledged a tough response in the event of further incidents.

"We shall react forcefully to any attack against us," Netanyahu said in a statement. "I advise Hezbollah not to test Israel's strength. Hezbollah is once again endangering Lebanon due to its aggression."

The border flare-up came hours after Lebanon rejected an Israeli call to reform the UN peacekeeping force which patrols the border ahead of a UN Security Council vote to renew its mandate.

Lebanese President Michel Aoun, ally of Israel's arch-foe Hezbollah, seemed to leave the door open to eventual peace with the Jewish state.

Asked in an interview on BFMTV last week whether Lebanon would be prepared to make peace with Israel, Aoun responded: "That depends. We have problems with Israel, we have to resolve them first."

In Beirut, many have bitter memories of Israel's invasion of Lebanon in 1982, its occupation of the country's south until 2000 and the 2006 war that killed 1,200 people, most of them civilians.

The fate of hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees stuck in Lebanon for decades after fleeing or being driven out of their homes in waves following Israel's creation in 1948 is another thorny issue.

Longstanding demands for their return has remained a sticking point.

Lebanon and Israel will hold UN-mediated talks on their disputed land and maritime borders, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri announced Thursday. The United States will act as a facilitator during the talks, which are due to be held in the southern Lebanon border town of Naqoura, Berri told a news conference without providing a date for the negotiations.

Lebanon and Israel will hold UN-mediated talks on their disputed land and maritime borders, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri announced Thursday. The United States will act as a facilitator during the talks, which are due to be held in the southern Lebanon border town of Naqoura, Berri told a news conference without providing a date for the negotiations. Lebanon has technically been at war with neighbouring Israel for decades, with tensions sporadically flaring in the border area in Lebanon's south, stronghold of the Shiite Muslim Hezbollah movement. The two neighbours have no diplomatic ties and mutual suspicion, even animosity, defines their relations. A key point of contention between Lebanon and Israel concerns oil and gas resources in the eastern Mediterranean, where both countries have sought bids for exploration in their exclusive economic zones. The maritime border between the countries is disputed. Also read: Netanyahu vows 'forceful' response if more attacks from Lebanon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that Israel views with "great gravity" the latest flare-up on the Lebanese border and pledged a tough response in the event of further incidents. "We shall react forcefully to any attack against us," Netanyahu said in a statement. "I advise Hezbollah not to test Israel's strength. Hezbollah is once again endangering Lebanon due to its aggression." The border flare-up came hours after Lebanon rejected an Israeli call to reform the UN peacekeeping force which patrols the border ahead of a UN Security Council vote to renew its mandate. Lebanese President Michel Aoun, ally of Israel's arch-foe Hezbollah, seemed to leave the door open to eventual peace with the Jewish state. Asked in an interview on BFMTV last week whether Lebanon would be prepared to make peace with Israel, Aoun responded: "That depends. We have problems with Israel, we have to resolve them first." In Beirut, many have bitter memories of Israel's invasion of Lebanon in 1982, its occupation of the country's south until 2000 and the 2006 war that killed 1,200 people, most of them civilians. The fate of hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees stuck in Lebanon for decades after fleeing or being driven out of their homes in waves following Israel's creation in 1948 is another thorny issue. Longstanding demands for their return has remained a sticking point.

Lebanon and Israel to hold UN-mediated talks on disputed borders