The U.S. asked Lebanon to declare a unilateral ceasefire with Israel to revive stalled talks to end hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, a senior Lebanese political source and a senior diplomat said - a claim denied by Lebanon's prime minister.

Lebanon's prime minister said US envoy Amos Hochstein had signalled during a phone call Wednesday that a ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah war was possible before US elections are held on November 5.

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati mentioned that Hezbollah had relaxed its stance, no longer linking a ceasefire in Lebanon to a truce in Gaza

BEIRUT (Reuters) -Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told U.S. envoys on Thursday that Israel's ability to counter threats to its security from Lebanon and return displaced people to the north were key elements of any ceasefire deal with Lebanon.

Lebanon's prime minister accused Israel on Friday of rejecting a ceasefire after the Israeli military bombed Hezbollah's south Beirut stronghold for the first time this week. In Gaza, where Israel has been engaged in a major offensive in the north for nearly a month, a Hamas official said the group had rejected a proposal for a short-term truce.

In a statement to Reuters, Mikati's office denied the U.S. had asked Lebanon to declare a unilateral truce. It said the government's stance was clear on seeking a mutual ceasefire