The United States declined on Wednesday to comment on a possible wider Israeli offensive in Lebanon and urged Israel to avoid the loss of innocent lives.

"I'm not in a habit of commenting on their military operations," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said at a briefing.

"We have, in the past, very strongly counseled both in public and private that the Israeli government needs to take the utmost care to avoid any loss of innocent life," McCormack said.

"These are very difficult situations, and we would also urge the Israeli government to do everything that they possibly can on the humanitarian front," McCormack added.

Over 1,000 Lebanese, mostly civilians, have been killed in Israeli military operations in southern Lebanon since the conflicts between Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah began in July.