"The prime minister and I spent time talking about Lebanon, and we had a frank exchange of views on this situation," Bush said at a joint press conference with Maliki after their talks at the White House.

"I told him I support a sustainable cease-fire that will bring about an end to violence, and I talked about the importance of strengthening the Lebanese government and supporting the Lebanese people," Bush said.

For his part, Maliki called for an immediate cease-fire in Lebanon.

"I also emphasized the importance of immediate cease-fire and call on the international community to support the Lebanese government and support the Lebanese people to overcome the damage and destruction that happened," Maliki said.

Maliki has condemned Israel's military action in Lebanon that has killed nearly 400 people, wounded over 1,000 and forced over 500,000 people to leave their homes.