Israel regrets Qana killings, but vows to press war

JERUSALEM, July 30 (Reuters) Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert expressed ''deep sorrow'' over the bombing of a Lebanese village today that killed at least 54 civilians, including 37 children, but vowed the war against Hizbollah would go on.

Trying to stem international outrage over the attack on Qana, the Israeli military said it was unaware civilians were sheltering in the buildings it bombed and blamed Hizbollah fighters for using the area to fire rockets at the Jewish state.

The death toll and the television images coming out of the southern Lebanese village have intensified international pressure on Israel to accept an immediate ceasefire.

''I would like to express my deep sorrow at the death of innocent civilians,'' political sources quoted Olmert as telling cabinet ministers after the air raid.

But Olmert said the offensive would continue.

''We will not blink in front of Hizbollah and we will not stop the offensive despite the difficult circumstances. It is the right thing to do,'' he said.

The government promised an investigation into the bloodiest single attack during Israel's 19-day-old offensive on Hizbollah.

The raid has drawn parallels to Israeli shelling in April 1996 that killed more than 100 civilians sheltering at the base of U.N.

peacekeepers in Qana during Israel's ''Grapes of Wrath'' bombing campaign against Hizbollah.

Israeli officials quickly went on the defensive.

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