China on Wednesday felt "deeply shocked" by and "strongly condemned" an Israeli air raid on a United Nations post in south Lebanon, and urged for an immediate ceasefire.

The air raid killed four UN observers, including one from China.

"China urges the concerned sides, especially Israel, to take tangible measures to ensure the security of UN peacekeepers," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao on Wednesday.

China has urged the relevant parties back to the negotiation table to a political solution.

"China will work with the international community, further diplomatic efforts and push the Middle East situation back to peace and stability at an early date," Liu said.

"We feel deep sorrow for the victims and convey sincere condolences to their families," Liu said.

Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Zhai Jun made solemn representations to Israeli Ambassador to China Yehoyada Haim on Wednesday morning.

"China strongly condemns the activity to raid the UN peacekeeping post and urges Israel to carry out thorough investigation and apologize to China and the victim's families and coordinate with China to deal with the aftermath," Zhao told the ambassador.

Yehoyada Haim conveyed the Israeli government's apology for the air strike, pledging to carry out broad and in-depth investigation to find out what happened at an early date.

Chinese Ambassador to the UN Wang Guangya on Wednesday made an emergency call to UN Deputy Secretary-General Mark Malloch Brown, asking the UN to require Israel to take every measure to ensure the security of all UN peacekeepers and investigate the event.

The Chinese peacekeeper killed on Tuesday night was Du Zhaoyu.

The body of Du has been recovered, according to sources of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

Milos Struger, spokesman of the UNIFIL, said earlier that an Israeli bomb directly hit the base of the UN Observer Group in the town of Khiam near the eastern end of the border with Israel.

The other three UN observers killed were from Finland, Austria and Canada, UNIFIL sources confirmed.

Other UN-related casualties since Israel launched a massive military offensive against Lebanon and Hezbollah guerrillas on July 12 include a Nigerian civilian employee working with UNIFIL and his wife, also a Nigerian, who were caught in a crossfire between Israeli forces and Hezbollah guerrillas in the southern port city of Tyre.

Five UNIFIL soldiers and one military observer were also wounded, Struger said.

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said he was "shocked and deeply distressed by the apparently deliberate targeting by Israeli Defense Forces of a UN Observer post in southern Lebanon."

"This coordinated artillery and aerial attack on a long established and clearly marked UN post at Khiam occurred despite personal assurances given to me by (Israeli) Prime Minister Ehud Olmert that UN positions would be spared Israeli fire," Annan said in a statement.

"I called on the government of Israel to conduct a thorough inquiry into this tragic incident and will inform the UN of its results as soon as possible," he said.

In Jerusalem, Israel expressed regret on Wednesday over the deaths of four UN observers.

"Israel sincerely regrets the tragic death of the UN personnel in south Lebanon," said Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev.

US Ambassador John Bolton also expressed regret over the deaths of UN observers.

"We are obviously very sorry about that. We're attempting to get information where we can to confirm the nature of the incident," Bolton said.

Meanwhile, China has evacuated a total of 170 citizens from Lebanon since Israel launched the massive assault on Lebanon on July 12, the Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday night.

The evacuation is almost completed and only a few Chinese citizens have chosen to stay in Lebanon for various reasons, an official from the Department of Consular Affairs said on condition of anonymity.

The official added that the Chinese Embassy officials who remain, including Ambassador Liu Xianghua, will always be ready to assist those who have chosen to stay.

(Xinhua News Agency July 26, 2006)