Israeli investigation says Qana bombed by mistake

An Israeli inquiry into the bombing of the Lebanese village of Qana has concluded that the Army would not have attacked a building if it had known civilians were inside, but accused Hizbollah of using human shields.

The weekend strike on Qana drew international outrage and intensified calls for a ceasefire.

Lebanon says at least 54 people were killed, many of them children.

A Human Rights Watch investigation said the death toll appeared lower.

The Israeli statement said the building was attacked with two missiles - one of which did not explode - because it was believed to be a hiding place for terrorists.

"Had the information indicated that civilians were present in the building the attack would not have been carried out." Residents of Qana and surrounding villages had been warned several times to leave their homes, it said.

The statement said Lieutenant-General Chief of Staff Dan Halutz again expressed sorrow for the deaths.

"The Hizbollah organisation places Lebanese civilians as a defensive shield between itself and us while the Army places itself as a defensive shield between the citizens of Israel and Hizbollah's terror," he said. "That is the main difference between us."

- REUTERS