A U.S. envoy this week asked Lebanon to declare a unilateral cease-fire with Israel as part of an effort to help negotiations to reach a resolution for the more than year-long conflict, a senior Lebanese political source and a senior diplomat said.

The sources said the effort was communicated by U.S. Lebanon Envoy Amos Hochstein to Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati.

But such an announcement was seen as a non-starter in Lebanon, the sources said, where it would likely be equated with a surrender.