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Beirut demands UN act after 54 killed

Rescue workers carry an injured Lebabese man on a strethcer after an Israeli air strike on the village of Qana yesterday morning. At least 54 people were killed, including 37 children, and several others were wounded in the raid, officials said. PHOTO: EPA

Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora called yesterday for an urgent UN Security Council meeting after Israel's bombing of the village of Qana killed 54 people, including 37 children, officials said.

"Siniora requested an urgent meeting of the Security Council in a telephone call with the UN secretary-general [Kofi Annan]" one official said.

The raid was the bloodiest single attack during Israel's 19-day-old war on Hezbollah and has fueled world pressure for a ceasefire.

Israel said it would investigate the bombing.

"Israel deeply regrets, is greatly saddened, by this attack on innocent civilians in Lebanon. Israel takes full responsibility and is going to start an open investigation to find out how this happened," government spokeswoman Miri Eisin said in Jerusalem.

The Qana attack prompted Lebanon to tell US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice she was unwelcome in Beirut before a ceasefire.

However, Rice insisted she had cancelled the trip.

Rice, who had planned to go to Beirut later in the day from Israel, said she was saddened by the Qana air raid, but stopped well short of calling for an immediate ceasefire.

Hezbollah supporters furious over the Israeli airstrike in Qana smash through glass with rocks as they storm their way into the main UN building in Beirut yesterday. Thousands of Hezbollah supporters, many burning US and UN flags, scaled fences and smashed bullet-proof glass as they stormed the ground floor of the building. PHOTO: AP

"In the wake of the tragedy that the people and the government of Lebanon are dealing with today, I have decided to postpone my discussions in Beirut. In any case, my work is here today," she said.

Rice was to hold more talks with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert before heading back to Washington later today.

Police said Qana, which is about 11km from the border with Israel, was bombed at 1:30am, destroying a three-storey building where about 63 displaced people were sheltering in the basement.

"Why have they attacked one- and two-year-old children and defenseless women? What have they done wrong?"

Mohamed Samai, whose relatives were among those killed yesterday in Qana

Many were killed in their sleep.

"Why have they attacked one- and two-year-old children and defenseless women? What have they done wrong?" asked Mohamed Samai, whose relatives were among the dead.

Israel said it was unaware civilians were in the building and accused Hezbollah of firing rockets from Qana. About 115 rockets hit Israel yesterday, wounding six people, police said.

Olmert expressed "deep sorrow" at the civilian deaths, but he said the assault in Lebanon would go on.

"We will not blink in front of Hezbollah and we will not stop the offensive despite the difficult circumstances," he told his Cabinet.

Hezbollah vowed to retaliate.

"This horrific massacre will not go without a response," it said.

The governing Palestinian movement Hamas also pledged to hit back with attacks on Israel.

Many Arab and European leaders condemned the Qana bombing -- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad called it state terrorism -- and called for an immediate ceasefire.
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