Israelis, Palestinians attack Security Council over Jenin mission

UNITED NATIONS: Palestinian and Israeli diplomats separately criticised the Security Council during a public debate Friday on Israel's rejection of a UN fact-finding mission to the Jenin refugee camp.

Nasser Al-Kidwa, the Palestinian observer to the UN, said the council failed to give the full weight of its support to Secretary General Kofi Annan when he set up the mission and later caved in to Israel's "blackmailing".

Annan, citing Israel's repeated objections to the composition and mandate of the team, disbanded it Thursday before it had even set foot in the Middle East.