Washington: A leading human rights watchdog has demanded immediate cut-off of all American cluster munitions sales to Israel, following a US investigation, which found that the jewish state had violated agreements in its use during the Lebanon war.

Human Rights Watch said demining groups have estimated that Israel used cluster munitions containing some 2.6 to 4 million submunitions in Lebanon, the majority of which were produced in the US.

Israel's use of cluster munitions was the most extensive anywhere in the world since the 1991 Gulf War, the rights body said in a statement.

"We've investigated cluster munitions in Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq, but we've never seen use of cluster munitions that was so extensive and dangerous to civilians," said Steve Goose, Director of the arms division at Human Rights Watch said.

"The issue is not whether Israel used the American cluster munitions lawfully, but what the US is going to do about it" he added.

The current controversy surrounding the role of US cluster munitions to Israel erupted in August 2006 when Israel requested US for expedition of delivery of surface-launched artillery rockets for use in Lebanon.

The Bush administration has forwarded the findings of the investigation to Congress.