A report published last night by Secretary-General Annan regarding a July 30 attack by Israel on the Lebanese village of Qana omits the fact that initial Lebanese accounts of the incident, which were repeated by Mr. Annan at the Security Council, included highly inflated casualty figures.

In yesterday’s report, Mr. Annan does quote the most recent Lebanese casualty numbers. “Thus far,” it reads, “28 corpses have been found, including those of 14 children.” As for the initial accounts, all Mr. Annan says is that the government reported at the time on “a number of casualties.”

On the day of the Israeli raid, Mr. Annan insisted that the Security Council convene for an emergency session, during which he advised it should “condemn” the Israeli attack. Quoting Lebanese government sources, he told the council that “at least 54 people have been killed, among them at least 37 children.” Subsequent Lebanese and press reports raised the number to 65 casualties.

Mr. Annan has since said that he would like a “stronger” statement than the one the council eventually issued, which neglected to condemn Israel. When asked yesterday why he has not called for a council meeting or a report on the deaths of 15 Israelis on Saturday, Mr. Annan’s spokesman, Farhan Haq, noted that the Qana report was ordered by the council.

In preparing yesterday’s current report, Mr. Annan admitted he did not rely on independent U.N. data, as the U.N. force on the ground in Lebanon was not on the scene. Instead, he relied on Israeli government data, which says that Qana is a Hezbollah center with extensive missile stockpiles, and serves as a haven to “fleeing terrorists.” Lebanese reports say there was no evidence of Hezbollah activity in the building that was hit.

Attempting to balance his report, Mr. Annan describes the suffering on both sides. Quoting Israeli and Lebanese figures, he says that more than 933 Lebanese civilians and 35 Israeli civilians have been killed so far.

U.N. spokesmen have yet to explain the method Lebanon uses to determine how many of its casualties are civilian, and how many combatants. Mr. Annan also says 915,000 Lebanese have been displaced by the war and that “tens of thousands” of Israelis had to take refuge in shelters or move away. Israeli press accounts speak of as many of 2 million residents of the northern Galilee region who fled their homes or were forced to live in shelters since the beginning of the war.