-News for Sun. 21 April & Mon. 22
April 2002 UN
Panel Announced for Jenin Probe
VOA
News 22
Apr 2002 17:24 UTC
 
U.N.
Secretary-General Kofi Annan has appointed a three-member fact-finding team to
probe Israel's military assault on the Palestinian refugee camp at
Jenin.
The team is headed by
former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari. Two other members are Cornelio
Sommaruga, former president of the International Committee of the Red Cross;
and former U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, Sadako
Ogata.
Israel agreed to the
probe after the U.N. Security Council voted unanimously Friday to launch an
investigation. The panel is expected to begin work
immediately.
Earlier today, the
human rights group Amnesty International joined international calls for a probe
of the Israeli military invasion at Jenin.
The rights group says
it has evidence of serious Israeli human rights abuses in the wrecked West Bank
camp. In a London news conference, Amnesty said it must be determined whether
the Israeli army committed war crimes during its three-week
offensive.
Amnesty International
said a preliminary probe found no evidence of mass graves in the Jenin camp, as
alleged by Palestinian survivors. Israel has flatly denied reports alleging a
massacre at Jenin. It says fewer than 100 Palestinian fighters were killed.
Palestinians say hundreds of people died.
Israeli troops
invaded the camp April 3, after a series of deadly Palestinian suicide
bombings.
Some information
for this report provided by AP and AFP.
Email this article to a friend.
Printer Friendly Version
|