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| By Israel Insider staff and partners July 26, 2006 |
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An Israeli bomb destroyed a U.N. observer post on the border in southern Lebanon, killing four peacekeepers, a U.N. official said.
The dead included observers from Austria, Canada, China and Finland, a senior Lebanese military official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release the information to the media.
The bomb made a direct hit on the building and shelter of the observer post in the town of Khiyam near the eastern end of the border with Israel, said Milos Struger, spokesman for the U.N. peacekeeping force in Lebanon known as UNIFIL.
Rescue workers were trying to clear the rubble, but Israeli firing "continued even during the rescue operation," Struger said.
As reports of the attack emerged, Annan rushed out of a hotel in Rome following a dinner with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora.
"I am shocked and deeply distressed by the apparently deliberate targeting by Israeli Defence Forces of a UN Observer post in southern Lebanon," Annan said in a statement later.
Annan said in his statement that the post had been there for a long time and was marked clearly, and was hit despite assurances from Prime Minister Ehud Olmert that UN positions would not be attacked.
"I call on the goverment of Israel to conduct a full investigation into this very disturbing incident and demand that any further attack on UN positions and personnel must stop," Annan said in the statement.
Israel Ambassador to the UN Dan Gillerman said "Israel is carrying out a thorough inquiry into this tragic incident and will inform the UN of its results as soon as possible."
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told Annan on Wednesday that the U.N. post was hit inadvertently.
"The prime minister expressed Israel's deep regret over the mistaken killing of four U.N. peacekeepers," Olmert said in a statement released by his office. "The prime minister said he has instructed the military to carry out a thorough investigation and that the results will be shared with the U.N. secretary general."
The prime minister expressed dismay over Annan's initial comments. "It's inconceivable for the U.N. to define an error as an apparently deliberate action," the statement said.
U.S. Ambassador John Bolton said the Security Council was informed that four officers with the U.N. missionwere killed, but he had no other information.
"We're obviously very sorry about that were attempting to get information where we can to confirm the nature of the incident," Bolton said.
Since Israel launched its counter-offensive against Lebanon and Hezbollah guerrillas July 12, an international civilian employee working with UNIFIL and his wife have been killed in the crossfire between Israeli forces and Hezbollah guerrillas in the southern port city of Tyre.
Five UNIFIL soldiers and one military observer have also been wounded.
The AP contributed to this report.
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