Questioned specifically about the Iran dispute, where China and Russia have resisted US calls for sanctions, the Chinese ambassador said: "I think all members will reflect on what lessons there are to be learned from this episode."

China distributed a draft statement at the start of the day calling the attack "apparently deliberate", echoing the wording of UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, but this was immediately rejected by US ambassador John Bolton.

A Lebanese man reacts as he looks at destruction caused by Israeli air strikes in the southern suburbs of Beirut, a strong hold of Hezbollah, July 25, 2006. [AFP]

By the end of the day, the council was studying the third edited version of the draft which said only that "The Security Council condemns any deliberate attack against UN personnel and emphasizes that any such attacks are unacceptable." The US delegation did not approve this version either, according to diplomats.

Wang said that a briefing to the council by Jane Holl Lute, UN assistant secretary general for peacekeeping operations, gave indications that the attack was deliberate.

Israel kept up attacks on the UN post despite high-level protests, Lute told the Security Council. The Khiam base used by the military observers had come under attack for six hours before the direct hit, she said.

Lute said protests were made to the Israel Defence Forces by UNIFIL and that she and Deputy UN Secretary General Mark Malloch Brown had called the Israeli mission to the United Nations to urge an end to the assault.

"I think the secretary's briefing was clear, it was very clear in this direction," said Wang.

But Bolton insisted there was no indication that the UN post had been specifically targeted.