Lebanon and Israel are getting closer to reaching a deal in a more than a decade-old maritime border dispute between the two neighbours. According to media reports, a Senior Adviser for energy security at the U.S. State Department who has been mediating between the two neighbours, expressed optimism after his meetings on Monday in Beirut with Lebanon's President and Caretaker Prime Minister. The joint meeting between Hochstein and the top leaders may indicate that a breakthrough could be near and that Lebanon's political leadership backs such a deal.<br />''<br />''Lebanon and Israel have been officially at war since Israel's creation in 1948 and both countries claim some 860 square kilometers of the Mediterranean Sea.<br />