Human Rights Watch: Israeli army commited war crimes against the Palestinians
Palestine-Israel, Politics, 5/4/2002

The US based Human Rights Watch organization stressed in a report issued on Friday said that the Israeli army committed war crimes against the Palestinians in Jenin camp for the Palestinian refugees and resulted in killing scores of civilians.

The organization said it had investigated 52 Palestinians who were killed during the Israeli campaign against Jenin which lasted 8 days including 22 civilians.

The organization said in its report that the Israeli forces used the civilians as human shields and it overused force and used this force randomly during the operation.

In a 48- page report, the organizations based its report on the results concluded by three investigators who lived in Jenin for one week.

The team collected, documented and interrogated the victims and the witnesses but the Israeli army refused to cooperate to provide any information.

The organization which defends human rights said that the helicopter planes which are offered by the US to its close ally Israel fired its missiles and other ammunition at the camp and the houses of civilians.

The organization said "A U.N. fact-finding mission could contribute significantly to the search for the truth in Jenin." It added "Israel should cooperate fully with whatever new U.N. fact-finding mission might be established, and there should be no immunity for persons implicated in the most serious violations of the laws of war."

Human Rights Watch's investigation concludes that "The abuses we documented in Jenin are extremely serious, and in some cases appear to be war crimes."

Previous Stories:
  Al-Zanoun: 2150 Palestinians killed, 36,000 wounded during Intifada   (5/3/2002)
  Israel refuses to dismantle any settlement in Gaza   (5/2/2002)
  UN is awaiting formal reply on Jenin, Annan says   (5/1/2002)
  Jenin ordeal more like earthquake   (4/29/2002)
  Washington Times: Jenin not even a graveyard   (4/29/2002)
  Moussa: Israel overstepped all limits   (4/29/2002)
  Chris Patten: Israel systematically targeted civilian infrastructure   (4/27/2002)
  European MPs: Israel committed massacre in Jenin   (4/25/2002)
  Guardian report: Israel breached the Geneva conventions   (4/24/2002)
  Reporters Sans Frontieres on Israeli practices against journalists in Palestine   (4/24/2002)
  Amnesty International delegates' visit to Jenin   (4/23/2002)
  Annan disturbed by Israel criticism and threats against UN personal   (4/22/2002)
  Two UN envoys tell of 'horrific' devastation in Jenin camp   (4/19/2002)
  UK parliamentarian: Sharon is a 'war criminal'   (4/19/2002)
  Amnesty International reiterates calls for international inquiry of Israel   (4/19/2002)
  Sharon renews rejection to all international resolutions   (4/17/2002)
  UN rights body condemns Israel for 'mass killings'   (4/16/2002)
  European leader: Israel is a terrorist state   (4/13/2002)
  US continues to block effective use of international law to expell Israel from Palestinian areas   (4/12/2002)
  US congress opposes Geneva conference   (7/14/1999)

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