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Israeli
troops committed a massacre in the Jenin Camp. According to Israel
150
Palestinians have been killed in the camp but Palestinians and human
agencies believe
the
actual totals are much higher.
Israeli authorities barred any press or humanitarian groups from
entering the camp.
Witnesses report that many of the casualties have been unarmed
civilians.
The
U.N. Security Council voted for a U.N. fact-finding mission on
Israel's devastating
military assault in the Jenin refugee camp.
Israel gave the green light and they said they
have
nothing to hide.
Aaron Jacob, Israel's Deputy U.N. Ambassador, said: "We have nothing
to hide. There was
no
massacre in Jenin. There was a fierce battle between Israeli troops
and Palestinian
terrorists."
The
final resolution avoids the word "investigation" and welcomes
efforts by U.N. Secretary-
General Kofi Annan to "develop accurate information regarding recent
events in the Jenin
refugee camp."
Amnesty International said there were indications of serious human
rights abuses by Israel
at
the camp, including houses demolished with people still in them and
alleged executions.
Bush's spokesman said the U.S. president wants the facts to come out
about the Israeli
attack on the camp.
The Israeli army says it did its best to avoid civilian casualties
in the Jenin camp and only
blew
up or bulldozed houses where gunmen had set booby-traps or were
refusing to
surrender.
After
U.N. envoy’s comment (Terje Larsen) Israel is facing internacional
criticism over the
killing of hundreds of innocent refugees in Jenin.
Terje
Larsen who visited the camp described it as “ horrific beyond
belief” and he said that
the
camp smells of death and looks like it was hit by a great
earthquake.
Hundreds of people are believed dead, most of them are still buried
under the rubble.
On the other hand,
the Israeli cabinet is to discuss whether to allow a United Nations
fact-finding mission to go to the Palestinian
refugee camp in Jenin.
"Israel cannot accept the demand by the United Nations mission to
decide which military
people it will question," said the Israeli Foreign
Minister Shimon Peres.
Israeli officials have expressed concern the U.N. team will focus
on the destruction at Jenin
and
ignore Israel's contention the camp was a "haven for terrorists".
Israel also denies
accusations that its troops carried out a massacre at the camp
during Israel's West Bank
assault.
U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan has agreed to a one-day delay in
the arrival of a U.N.
fact-finding mission to the Jenin refugee camp.
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