UPDATE: Extra-judicial Executions in Jenin refugee camp; bodies seen in the rubble.

April 10, 2002

LAW--The Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights and The Environment
www.lawsociety.org

www.lawsociety.org/Press/Preleases/2002/April/apr10.html

Reports from witnesses in Jenin refugee camp to LAW indicate that from those Palestinian fighters resisting the Israeli military assault on Jenin refugee camp, a number of those sought to surrender to Israeli forces and were summarily executed. It has been difficult to confirm exact numbers of those executed, due to the fact that Israeli forces prevent any of the residents of the refugee camp or any independent monitors from returning or entering the refugee camp.

However, LAW has received the names of two of those fighters, who were apparently executed after their surrender: Ala' Sabagh and Mahmoud al-Hilou.

Reports indicate that other fighters remaining within the refugee camp, who have stopped their resistance, and seek to surrender, are being summarily executed.

Witnesses report that when leaving the refugee camp, they saw bodies of residents that appeared to be run over by military bulldozers and bodies within the rubble of homes and shelters that had been destroyed. They expressed their fears that they did not know whether all the bodies in the rubble were dead or injured persons.

LAW understands that the majority of the residents from the camp, after being forcibly expelled by Israeli forces, earlier today, have still not been allowed to return. These refugees are now currently scattered throughout the area, surrounding the refugee camp.

Various sources from the refugee camp, estimate that at least 30 percent of the total area of the camp, including homes and shelters, have been totally destroyed.

LAW calls for an international protection force to protect civilians to be deployed immediately in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and for an international investigative body to be immediately despatched to investigate this apparent evidence of war crimes and crimes against humanity, perpetrated by the Israeli forces, including in Jenin refugee camp.