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)