The Palestine Monitor, A PNGO Information Clearinghouse
> April 12th, 2002 > > > It has now been confirmed that Israeli troops have committed a massacre in > Jenin. The Israeli army admits several hundred people have been killed, but > Palestinians fear the numbers are much higher. > > Israel is now attempting to cover up its crime by removing the bodies of the > dead from the camp and burying them in the northern part of the Jordan > Valley, in a secret location. > > For ten days not a single journalist, nurse, doctor, international Red Cross > team or observer has been able to reach the site of the massacre. No > representative from UNWRA, the UN body responsible for the camp, has been > permitted to visit the area — everybody denied access so they cannot see or > report what has occurred. > > Most of the 15,000 residents of the camp have been killed, injured or > completely dispossessed of their homes and shelter. The camp has been > destroyed. > > Israel refused to listen to the International community when it demanded the > troops withdraw from the camp; now they are trying to create a complete news > blackout of the situation, so the world cannot learn what they have done > there. We, members of Palestinian civil society are concerned that same > events may be carried out in a different area — as long as the army remains > in the West Bank this is a real threat. We are also concerned that next, not > content with a blackout on the media, Sharon will attack the organizations > and Palestinian civil society institutions that are daring, and able to, > speak out. > > We are now, more than ever, in desperate need of an international protection > force to be immediately deployed to the West Bank. > > We appeal to the world to not remain silent. Sharon must be stopped. The > atrocity he and his army have committed must be seen; new atrocities must be > prevented. To add insult to injury, Israeli spokespeople are claiming > Palestinians are hiding the bodies of the dead in order to stage a > propaganda coup in the coming days. This lie is a cynical Israeli attempt to > distort the truth - another Israeli attempt to cover up their actions. > > > Write to your representatives and Israeli officials - for addresses see > http://www.palestinemonitor.org/Activism/Activism/contact_info_for_campaigns > .htm > > > > For more information contact The Palestine Monitor > +972 (0)2 5834021 or +972 (0)2 5833510 > www.palestinemonitor.org >