The U.N. Security Council is debating how to proceed after Secretary-General Kofi Annan disbanded a fact-finding mission to investigate Israeli army actions in the Palestinian refugee camp at Jenin. 

The Palestinian observer to the United Nations, Nasser Al-Kidwa, told the council Israel is guilty of war crimes in Jenin. He says Israeli forces demolished houses with people still inside, and fired rockets from helicopter gunships into densely populated areas. He also says Israeli troops used Palestinians as human shields. 

Israel's U.N. Ambassador Yehuda Lancry rejected Palestinian claims of a massacre in Jenin. He also says Israel regrets the loss of civilian life during the military operation. 

Mr. Annan disbanded the fact-finding team late Thursday. Its members are now calling for a stronger international presence in the region to protect both Israelis and Palestinian civilians. 

Also Friday, a human rights group issued a report saying there is no evidence of a massacre by Israeli forces at Jenin. But Human Rights Watch says Israeli troops may have committed war crimes during fighting at Jenin. The group is calling for criminal investigations for the most serious violations at the refugee camp. 

Friday's debate began after a marathon council session Thursday ended in a deadlock, with diplomats failing to agree on a response to Israel's decision not to cooperate with the fact-finding mission. 

The Israeli army rejects the accusation of war crimes. It says the Human Right Watch report fails to address the difficult battle conditions in an urban area and the placement of a terrorist infrastructure in a densely populated civilian area. 

Some information for this report provided by AP and AFP. 

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