Halonen said there was no justification for an attack on the UN post. The president wanted a full investigation of the Tuesday attack, said a spokeswoman for the head of state.

The death of the Finnish observer and three others from China, Austria and Canada were "truly tragic," said Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja.

Israel's so-called precision strikes seemed to have hit everyone other than Hezbollah targets, as hundreds of civilians and international personnel have been killed, Tuomioja said.

The longer the conflict continued, the more fatalities would occur, said the foreign minister, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the European Union.

The minister will attend an emergency meeting on Lebanon on Wednesday in Rome before a visit to the Middle East on Thursday and Friday together with European Commissioner for External Relations Benita Ferrero-Waldner.