China on Sunday "strongly condemned" the Israeli attack on a
village in south Lebanon, killing at least 54 Lebanese, according
to official sources.
"China strongly urges the two sides involved in the conflict to
cease fire immediately to avoid further disaster," said Foreign
Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao. "The Lebanon-Israel conflict has
caused grave humanitarian damage," he noted.
Israel Air Force launched an air raid on a building in the south
Lebanon village of Qana on Sunday morning.
China will send a plane to bring back the coffin bearing the
body of Chinese UN observer, Du Zhaoyu, who was killed in an
Israeli raid on a UN post in south Lebanon earlier this week,
according to military sources.
A Chinese team including Du's widow Li Lingling and officials
from the Foreign Ministry and the Defense Ministry Peacekeeping
Affairs Office has been in Israel to handle the aftermath of Lt.
Colonel Du's death.
Wednesday's air raid killed four UN observers. The other three
were from Finland, Austria and Canada.
Chinese President Hu Jintao on Wednesday expressed his "deep
condolences" over the death of Du, father of a one-year-old
son.
President Hu "demanded the Chinese departments concerned
properly handle the aftermath of the incident and take every
measure necessary to ensure the safety of Chinese nationals in
Lebanon."
(Xinhua News Agency July 31, 2006)
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