Qana killings could be breach of int'l law

The UN secretary general highlighted the heavy civilian toll in Lebanon and Israel when he called late Monday for a fuller investigation into the July 30 bombardment which killed at least 28 civilians dead, including 16 children.

"The attack on Qana should be seen in the broader context of what could be, based on preliminary information available to the United Nations, including eyewitness accounts, a pattern of violations of international law, including international humanitarian law and international human rights law, committed during the course of the current hostilities," Annan said.

More than 1,000 Lebanese have been killed in the war since hostilities erupted on July 12. The United Nations estimates that one third of the Lebanese victims are children.

In Israel, 36 civilians and 61 soldiers have been reported killed from Hezbollah rocket attacks and other incidents.

Israel said in a statement for Annan's report that Qana, which is near the frontier with Israel, was a base for Hezbollah "terrorists" and that it had warned residents in leaflets and radio broadcasts of its intention to attack.

Lebanon, in its declaration to the UN, called the attack "a war crime" and said that other bodies may still be under the rubble.

"Qana is the centre of Hezbollah's regional headquarters. It contains extensive weapons stockpiles, serves as a haven for fleeing terrorists, and is the source of over 150 missiles launched into northern Israel," said a letter from the Israeli mission to the United Nations.

"While regretting the civilian casualties of this operation, Israel blames Hezbollah for manipulating and using innocent Lebanese civilians as human shields," it added.

Israel said it staged the attack believing that civilians had heeded its warnings to flee Qana.

According to the Lebanese government's account, in the early hours of July 30, the house in Qana collapsed under the impact of one direct hit by a missile fired by an Israeli jet and another that landed nearby.