The Israeli air strike on the Lebanese town of Qana, which killed 28 people last month, may be part of a larger pattern of violations of international law in the war between Israel and Hezbollah, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said in a report. In that light, Annan said that the July 30 air strike was sufficiently serious to merit a more comprehensive investigation. The attack should be seen «in the broader context of what could be, based on preliminary information available to the United Nations ... a pattern of violations of international law, including international humanitarian law. Annan acknowledged requests from Lebanon, the Arab League and the Non-Aligned Movement for a full investigation. Yet the report, just six pages long, said the seven days Annan was given were not nearly enough time for such a task, particularly because the fighting has made getting to Qana difficult and U.N. observers were not there when the attack occurred. Initial accounts had said that some 56 people were killed in the attack. But the toll was later lowered by half. Of the 28 bodies pulled from the rubble, some 14 were children, Annan was quoted as saying by the Associated Press.
