BEIJING, July 26 (Xinhua) -- 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 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.

    It called concerned sides back to the track of talks to seek for 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 called in Israeli Ambassador Yehoyada Haim Wednesday morning and made solemn representations.

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

    Yehoyada Haim expressed the Israeli government's apology for the event, pledging to carry out broad and in-depth investigation to find the truth 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 UN peacekeepers, including those from China, and investigate the event.

    The Chinese victim Du Zhaoyu was among the four UN peacekeepers killed in the Israeli air strike Tuesday night.

    The other three dead UN observers were from Finland, Austria and Canada, UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) sources confirmed.

    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.

    UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said in a statement that he was "shocked and deeply distressed" by the attack, saying it's "apparently deliberate targeting by Israeli Defense Forces."

    France and New Zealand condemned the bombing. U.S. Ambassador to the UN John Bolton also expressed regret over the deaths of UN observers.

    A total of 180 Chinese officers and soldiers as well as three observers, including Du, were working in Lebanon, as part of the UN peacekeeping mission, according to diplomatic sources.

    There are nearly 2,000 UN peacekeeping forces in Lebanon, which were launched in March, 1978 based on UN resolutions.