"An immediate cease-fire is something that at this point doesn't seem to be in the cards. Neither side is headed that way," White House spokesman Tony Snow said at a briefing.

However, the UN Security Council is expected to reach an agreement on Lebanon crisis "in a matter of days," Snow said.

The Bush administration has supported Israel's military action in Lebanon by claiming that Israel is defending itself against Lebanese Hezbollah, a group termed by the United States as terrorist.

However, Israeli military strikes in Lebanon have caused a humanitarian crisis in the country.