The U.N. Security Council has failed to agree on a statement condemning the Israeli air strike that killed four peacekeepers in southern Lebanon.
Talks broke off late Wednesday after the United States rejected language suggesting that Israel deliberately attacked the United Nations outpost. Discussions by the 15 Security Council members are expected to resume Thursday.
U.S. ambassador John Bolton says the Security Council should call for a full investigation of the incident, but not attach any political statements to its resolution.
U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said earlier that Israel's fatal air strike was aimed at a U.N. observation post that was clearly marked, and despite repeated appeals to Israeli forces to avoid striking the base.
Israel says it deeply regrets the bombing, and maintains that the attack was an accident.
One of the four U.N. observers killed this week was Chinese, and it was China that proposed a resolution condemning Israel for the attack in south Lebanon.
China's U.N. ambassador, Wang Guang-ya, said the Security Council must send a strong message of complaint to show its support for UNIFIL peacekeepers, who have been stationed in south Lebanon near the Israeli border for more than 25 years.
China offered compromise language in an attempt to resolve the diplomats' wrangling late Wednesday, but talks eventually broke off after delegates from Qatar asked for a recess to consult with their government.
Observers from Austria, Canada and Finland were also killed in the airstrike, which took place despite at least six warnings to Israel that its munitions were exploding dangerously close to the U.N. base.
Information for this report is provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
