Lebanese Official Calls Israeli Strike a 'War Crime'
July 30, 2006 — -- A senior advisor to the prime minister of Lebanon decried Israel's bombing of Qana, Lebanon, as a "war crime.
"This can only create more extremism, more hatred," said the advisor, Mohamad Chatah, in an exclusive appearance on "This Week with George Stephanopoulos." He then called for "an immediate ceasefire."
The Israeli air strike on Qana killed dozens of civilians, more than half of them women and children.
In a press conference following the Qana bombing, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said, "I will continue to work and work and work. That is what we can do. If there is any way humanly [possible] to accelerate our efforts I would do it, but we are already doing really what is at the human limitation to try and get to an end in this conflict."
Rice, continuing shuttle diplomacy in Jerusalem, cancelled plans to travel to Beirut, and said it is "time for a ceasefire" in the wake of the 19-day struggle's latest violence.
Also appearing on "This Week", Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns and Daniel Ayalon, the Israeli ambassador to the United States, rejected Shattah's description of the bombing as a war crime.
"The United States does not believe that what has happened over the last two weeks constitutes a war crime," Burns said.
Ayalon laid blame on the Hezbollah, the militant group that began the conflict without the knowledge of the Lebanese government nearly three weeks ago.
"It was a war crime committed by the Hezbollah," Ayalon said, repeating the claim that the militant group based in Lebanon routinely hides their arms in civilian populations.
Nonetheless, the Israeli government announced in prepared statement that they take full responsibility for their actions and will intiate an investigation into the Qana bombing. Ayalon told ABC News that Israel was taking this action "so we can do everything in the future not to repeat it."
Shattah did not blame Hezbollah.
"There is nothing that can excuse the Israeli killing of civilians," he said. "This is not justified, cannot be justified by anything."
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