After a late Wednesday meeting among the five Security Council members with veto power, US Ambassador John Bolton told reporters some progress had been made but no agreement had been reached.

Despite pressure on the council to end the escalating conflict, the dispute made it unlikely a draft resolution would be introduced formally on Thursday in preparation for a vote 24 hours later, participants in the negotiations said.

The main obstacle is that France, backing Lebanon, wants Israel to begin withdrawing 10,000 troops when Beirut's army, supported by UN peacekeepers, deploys in southern Lebanon, now controlled by Hezbollah's militia.

But the United States supports Israel's position that it keep its troops in Lebanon until the arrival of a larger and better-armed international force, which France may lead.

The United States, France, Britain, Russia and China meet again on Thursday to review proposals sent to their respective governments overnight, especially an amendment from France.

This says that as 15,000 Lebanese troops begin to deploy in the south, the Israeli army should start to "withdraw behind the blue line," a UN-demarcated border between Israel and Lebanon, two council diplomats who asked not to be named because of the secrecy of negotiations, told Reuters.

The operation would be aided by a beefed-up UN peacekeeping force before the international troops arrive.