Israelis shelter bloodiest battlefield from eyes of media and aid groups

THE last group of hardcore Palestinian militants surrendered in Jenin’s refugee camp yesterday, but Israeli troops continued their strenuous efforts to prevent independent witnesses entering the bloodiest battlefield of their two-week-old anti-terrorist offensive.
With Colin Powell, the US Secretary of State, arriving in Jerusalem last night the soldiers blocked the United Nations, the Red Cross and the media from entering the “closed military area” where scores of Palestinians, as well as 22 Israeli soldiers, have been killed in ferocious close-quarter fighting.

Some journalists were detained. One had his press card ripped up. Footage filmed by a television cameraman was confiscated. The few pictures that did emerge from the camp showed scenes of devastation.

Refugees leaving the northern West Bank city talked of misery, horror and death inside the camp which formerly housed 13,000 residents. They spoke of “countless dead bodies” and men being executed at close range.