A senior U.S. official said Washington has asked Israel to avoid concluding a deal with Syria over Lebanon.

The pan-Arab daily al-Hayat said on Sunday Jeffrey Feltman, deputy assistant U.S. Secretary of State, relayed Washington's message to Israel during a recent visit to respect the United States' commitment to Lebanon's independence and sovereignty in its talks with Syria.

The official, who was not identified, said Israel would "respond to any act by Hizbullah that threatens its security, but would not launch a preemptive war."

He said the recent meeting between U.S. President George Bush and his Lebanese counterpart Michel Suleiman was of symbolic importance because "Suleiman is not (ex-President) Emile Lahoud and is not Syria's representative in Lebanon."

Suleiman, the official added, is playing a "very cautious role so that he doesn't disagree with anybody."