Lebanon and Israel held "productive" talks over their disputed Mediterranean Sea border on Thursday and agreed to meet again next month, the UN and the U.S. said in a joint statement.

The U.S. and UN envoys "remain hopeful that these negotiations will lead to a long-awaited resolution," the statement said.

Thursday's indirect meeting was the third one this month between the longtime foes, mediated by the U.S. and hosted by the UN, at a base in southern Lebanon.

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Israel, Lebanon hold second round of sea border talks

Lebanon, Israel hold talks over maritime border disputes

The delegations met for around four hours for a second day straight and committed to continue negotiations next month. A Lebanese source close to the negotiations told AFP they would resume on November 11.

On Wednesday the two sides presented contrasting maps outlining proposed borders that actually increased the size of the disputed area, Reuters sources said.

The Lebanese proposal extended farther south than the border Lebanon previously presented to the UN, Reuters reported citing a Lebanese security source. The Israeli map pushed the boundary farther north than Israel's original position, according to a source familiar with the discussions.

Lebanon has said its talks are technical talks and strictly limited to their disputed boundary which lies in an area of potentially gas-rich Mediterranean water. It has insisted the indirect meetings do not involve any political normalization with Israel.

In February 2018, Lebanon signed its first contract for offshore oil and gas exploration and production in two energy blocks, named Block 9 and Block 4, with a consortium of France's Total, Italy's Eni and Russia's Novatek.

In April this year, Lebanon said initial drilling in Block 4 had shown traces of gas but no commercially viable reserves.

Lebanon is hoping to settle the maritime border dispute so it can continue exploring for hydrocarbon reserves in the Mediterranean. Exploration is on hold in Block 9, as a section of it is located in an 860-square-kilometre (330-square-mile) area disputed by Israel.

(Cover image: UN peacekeeping vehicles are pictured in Naqoura, near the Lebanese-Israeli border, southern Lebanon, October 29, 2020. /Reuters)