NEW YORK (voa) – The United Nations says it expects a decision from Israel Tuesday if it will cooperate by allowing a U.N. fact-finding mission into the Jenin refugee camp.
A senior U.N. official, Undersecretary-General Kieran Prendergast, says he was told Israel’s cabinet plans to take up the issue early today in Jerusalem.
U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan lobbied Israeli officials for a “yes” answer Monday. He says it is urgent the U.N. team find out what happened during Israel’s offensive in the Jenin camp earlier this month.
Palestinians say Israeli forces massacred hundreds of civilians. But Israel says about 50 Palestinians were killed as its soldiers battled Palestinian gunmen.
The U.N. team, now in Geneva, was scheduled to go to Jenin Sunday but cancelled their flight after the Israeli cabinet voted not to cooperate with the mission.
Israel and U.N. officials differ on several ground rules for the mission, including whether the United Nations or Israel itself chooses the Israeli witnesses to be interviewed.
The U.N. Security Council held an emergency session late Sunday to debate a resolution demanding Israel work with the team. They later gave Mr. Annan another 24 hours to try to work things out. The three-man team, led by former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari, has been waiting in Geneva to head to Jenin. Other members include former International Red Cross President Cornelio Sommaruga, and the former U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, Sadako Ogata.
Retired U.S. Major General William Nash is the team’s top military advisor. Military advisers from France and Britain arrived in Geneva Monday to join the group, as did Inspector Patrick Leahy of the Irish Police, who has worked with U.N. operations in Bosnia and Cambodia.
Israel originally welcomed the mission when the Security Council voted to send it earlier this month. But last week, Israeli officials expressed concern the team will focus on the destruction at Jenin and ignore Israel’s contention the camp was a haven for terrorists.
