Ben, I agree, it is not precise. But the fact is that I think we can probably agree that the fact that the Palestinians have had 1,680 deaths, 4,586 injured by live ammunition, and a total of 19,995 injured in the period Sept 29 '00 - Jul 31 '02 (Source: Palestinian Red Crescent Society (http://www.palestinercs.org/crisistables/table_of_figures.htm)) and the Israelis have had in excess of 550 killed, tells us that there is reason for considerable concern.
While on this topic the appended leader article may interest you. Refer also to http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/comment/0,10551,762756,00.html
Regards
Hermit
[hr]
Truth-seeking in Jenin
Israel is still wanted for questioning
Source: The Guardian (http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,2763,767965,00.html)
Authors: Leader
Dated: 2002-08-02
In the wake of the Israeli assault on Jenin camp in the West Bank last April, Kofi Annan, the UN secretary-general, was in no doubt what needed to be done. "It is very urgent that we go in, find out what happened, and put all the rumours and accusations behind us," he said. But Mr Annan's hopes, backed by the security council, of quickly dispatching a fact-finding mission to Jenin and other besieged towns were thwarted. Israel, with tacit US support, flatly refused to cooperate. The subsequent inquiry launched by default via the UN general assembly published its findings yesterday. Israel barred its authors from visiting Jenin or other parts of the Occupied Territories. It also refused to provide any information. As a result the report's objective, as stated by Mr Annan, is seriously compromised. The UN is forced to concede that some of its conclusions are tentative.
Given its obstructive attitude, Israel's almost enthusiastic welcome for the report is disingenuous. Its officials claim that the inquiry has cleared up "misconceptions" about what Israeli forces did in Jenin. In fact, it seems largely to confirm what many suspected at the time: that Ariel Sharon's army frequently acted recklessly and illegally in Jenin and other towns by disregarding the safety of Palestinian civilians, demolishing their homes about their heads, and blocking medical and humanitarian aid. This behaviour was serial. In fact the civilian toll in Nablus was perhaps double that in Jenin. The report reveals that 497 Palestinians were killed and 1,500 wounded in "Operation Defensive Shield" from March to May - far higher than previous figures.
Palestinian gunmen also acted recklessly and illegally, as the report notes, thereby increasing the civilian toll. And indeed, both sides' continuing, callous disregard for civilian life is the single most distressing feature of this conflict. Its resulting horrors were again evident in Jerusalem on Wednesday. But in Jenin and elsewhere last spring, as in Gaza last week, Israel exceeded the limits of its legal right to self-defence. It placed itself in prima facie breach of the fourth Geneva convention and the international covenant on civil and political rights. Specifically, after an ambush on April 9 in Jenin that killed 13 soldiers, it resorted to random, vengeful acts of terror involving civilians. As we said last April, the destruction wrought in Jenin looked and smelled like a crime. On the basis of the UN's findings, it still does
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