stay in Palestinian towns till "the terrorists surrender," despite United States demands to withdraw his forces amid international concern about the growing death toll.
Palestinian officials said earlier that at least 500 Palestinians, mainly civilians, were killed by Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) in and around the refugee camp Jenin, since the offensive began two weeks ago. IDF officials have denied the accusations and other reports said that at least 100 Palestinians and 23 Israeli soldiers were killed in the refugee camp. One leading Israeli military commentator, Ron Ben Yishai, told Israel Radio that the troops died because Israel did not want to demolish buildings from the air.
But he added that "the Palestinians don’t hesitate to demolish Palestinian buildings to kill Israelis," according to the news service of the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ).
CAMERA CREWS
"Indeed, as camera crews and reporters now gain access to Jenin, Nablus, Bethlehem and other towns invaded by Israeli forces, they will convey to the world a sense of the destruction around them," noted the ICEJ News Service.
"But it should be noted that Palestinian combatants inflicted much of the property damage by hiding and detonating hundreds of bombs as IDF columns advanced on their hide-outs," the ICEJ said.
It was difficult to verify those reports, and aid workers have expressed concern about the situation of Palestinian civilians. In Jesus birthplace Bethlehem, Christians remained trapped in the Church of the Nativity and other religious sites and buildings, with Israeli forces still in the neighborhood.
Although US. Secretary of State Colin Powell was due to arrive in Israel, Thursday April 11, there were no indications that the fighting would end any time soon.
HOUSE TO HOUSE
IDF forces continued house to house searches Thursday, as troops shot one camp resident, the Voice of America said. About 300 fighters reportedly surrendered late Wednesday and Palestinian officials called for help to relocate hundreds of families left homeless by the Israeli attack on the refugee camp.
The Jenin camp was the scene of the some of the worst fighting of the offensive launched by Israel after a series of Palestinian suicide bombings against Israeli civilians. IDF officials said the army left 24’Palestinian villages overnight – but tanks pushed into at least two new towns, including Bir Zeit, and troops arrested a number of people, VOA reported.
Eye-witnesses saw Israeli tanks and troops in the key Palestinian cities of Nablus, Ramallah, Jenin, Bethlehem and on the outskirts of two more. Israel announced it has more than 4,000 Palestinians during its two-week operation – nearly double the number it reported two days ago.
SUICIDE ATTACK
It came as news emerged that in Hebron, a Palestinian man was killed when explosives he was carrying blew up near a taxi stand. Several bystanders were injured. Three other Palestinians were killed in the village of Arrabe by Israeli army gunfire.
However ICEJ officials have defended the Israeli offensive and have urged Christians to pray for the Holy Land at a time of what is sees as growing anti-Semitism and international opposition. It noted how even bible verses are censored.
"We have been informed that Psalm 121 was sung at the stately funeral for the Queen Mother of Great Britain, but verse 4 was omitted.." It reads: "Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep."
