But the U.S. State Department official, briefing reporters in New York on condition of anonymity, pushed back on this Israeli position, saying President Joe Biden's administration was focused on "reducing tensions ... and breaking the cycle of strike-counterstrike."

"I can't recall, at least in recent memory, a period in which an escalation or intensification led to a fundamental de-escalation and led to profound stabilization of the situation," the official said.

Asked if that is a disagreement with the Israeli stance, the U.S. official nodded.

The spiraling conflict over Israel's northern border with Lebanon is a focus for Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly this week. Washington had "concrete ideas" to prevent a broader war and would seek an “off-ramp” to tensions, the official said.

"It's an evolution of those discussions on which we're trying to base some practical, concrete steps that will have good chances of reducing tensions and getting some traction," the official said.