Amnesty urges immediate humanitarian assistance for Jenin

Amnesty International called on Wednesday for immediate Humanitarian access to Jenin, saying it had evidence some people could be trapped underground in the refugee camp on the West Bank, occupied for two weeks by the Israeli army.

"It is shocking that the authorities have not asked for help and that the international community is not offering it. Let this be the wake-up call that help is needed now to save what life there is left," the London-Based Human-Rights Organization said.

An Amnesty delegate, who has gained access to the camp, Javier Zuniga, said a human-rights worker had received a call from a family of 10-trapped underground and asking for help.

"This is one of the worst scenes of devastation I have ever witnessed.... There is a real possibility that people are stil1 alive under the rubble of their former homes," Zuniga said.

Amnesty said it suspected that "scores more bodies" remained in the camp.

It said it had been granted access to the local hospital early on Wednesday.

Access to the camp had been denied but the checkpoints had been removed on Wednesday morning, Amnesty said.