Sunday, Apr 21, 2002
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By Kesava Menon
The Palestinians, while welcoming the Security Council's decision, have expressed the hope that this will be the first stage in a course of developments that will lead to the indictment of Israel's Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, the Defence Minister, Benjamin Ben Eliezer and the army chief, Shaul Mofaz, on war crimes charges. A senior U.S. official, William Burns, has joined U.N. officials in describing the scenes in Jenin as horrifying. He has called on Israel to help expedite the provision of relief supplies and equipment to shift the rubble in Jenin. At least 100 houses are reported to have been demolished in the Jenin refugee camp and about 3,000 people rendered homeless. Palestinians are still working round the clock looking for survivors and bodies under the rubble. So far, around 40 bodies have been recovered and buried in a mass grave. While Israel has given a categorical assurance in respect of Jenin, it has not as yet responded to the request for a wider inspection. Israel's Foreign Minister, Shimon Peres, has said that his country has nothing to hide and that the fact-finding mission will be allowed to review the videotapes that the army made during the operation in Jenin. They will also be allowed to talk to commanders and soldiers who took part in the operation. Meanwhile, the standoff at the Palestinian Authority president, Yasser Arafat's office in Ramallah and at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem continues. Israel has said that it will not lift its siege in either place until the Palestinian Authority hands over wanted men in the two complexes. The Authority has promised that it will put on trial three men currently trapped inside Mr. Arafat's office but refuses to hand them over to Israel. Ha'aretz today reported that Mr. Sharon had promised the U.S. Secretary of State, Colin Powell, that his troops would not break into Mr. Arafat's office so long as he (Gen. Powell) was in the area and for a few days after. Today, the U.S. was reported to have warned Israel that it should, under no circumstances, force its way into Mr. Arafat's office or put his life in jeopardy.
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