The Beeb's Paul Reynolds opined that Israel's strike on Qana would pressure the U.S. into pushing for an early ceasefire.

He would appear to be wrong.

Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert says there will be no ceasefire.

Meanwhile, Lebanese journalist Zahera Harb recalls the first time Israeli warplanes caused a major loss of life in the south Lebanon town of Qana. Here's an excerpt:

Again we hear the same Israeli explanation repeated. Israeli spokespersons go on BBC, Sky news and CNN to say that Hezbollah fighters were launching rockets from nearby areas.

More than 60 people were hiding there. Only eight survived. Those who survived tell the story of 37 children fed and put to sleep hours before the attack took place.

History repeated

Israel calls it a terrible mistake. They said the same in 1996, until a video recorded by one of the UN soldiers was handed to veteran reporter Robert Fisk of the Independent newspaper. This showed an Israeli drone was flying low over the base and would have seen the civilians.

A UN investigation into the bombing said the deaths were unlikely to have been the result of an accident, as claimed by the Israelis.

History is repeating itself: civilian deaths followed by apologies.