PALESTINIANS claim hundreds of civilians have been massacred in the past two week, the Israeli army says it is only targeting terrorists. David Blair reports

Rashida Raji Ahmed, 65, sobbed gently, pounding her face with her hands, as the Israeli Army systematically battered her neighbour's house into rubble.

The bulldozer revved and roared as it inflicted further destruction on the West Bank town of Jenin.

For the last 12 days, the people of Jenin have borne the brunt of Israel's clampdown on areas controlled by the Palestine Authority.

The town remained a closed military zone yesterday, patrolled by tanks, overlooked by snipers and tormented by bulldozers.

Palestinians accuse the Israeli forces of "massacring" hundreds of civilians and trying to cover up the evidence by sealing off Jenin and particularly its refugee camp, where the battle was fiercest.