An Israeli inquiry into the bombing of the Lebanese village of Qana said today the army would not have bombed a building if had known civilians were inside and accused Hizbullah of using human shields.
The strike on Qana last Saturday drew international outrage and intensified calls for a ceasefire.
Lt General Dan Halutz
Lebanon says at least 54 people were killed, many of them children. A Human Rights Watch investigation said the toll appeared lower.
The Israeli inquiry said the building was attacked with two missiles, one of which did not explode, because it was believed to be a "hiding place for terrorists".
"Had the information indicated that civilians were present in the building the attack would not have been carried out," the statement said, adding that residents of Qana and surrounding villages had been warned several times to leave their homes.
The statement said Lt General Dan Halutz, the chief of staff, again expressed sorrow for the deaths.
"The Hizbullah organisation places Lebanese civilians as a defensive shield between itself and us while the army places itself as a defensive shield between the citizens of Israel and Hizbullah's terror," he said. "That is the main difference between us."
Amnesty International Ireland described the Qana investigation as a "whitewash".
"It is not enough that the Israeli army investigates themselves", said Executive Director Sean Love. "Israel has a history of either not investigating civilian deaths, or conducting similarly flawed inquiries."