Israel bars 'political' UN team

Israel has blocked a US-backed United Nations factfinding mission from entering the country to investigate allegations of widespread violations of international law in the Jenin refugee camp.

Government sources in Jerusalem said today that they did not object to the team led by former Finnish president Martti Ahtisaari in principle but that it was made up of "political" rather than "military" experts. The team includes former UN High Commissioner for Refugees Sadako

Ogata and the former chief of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Cornelio Sommaruga. Retired American general William Nash is to be military adviser.

Cabinet secretary Gideon Saar said that if a committee is assigned to investigate an army's conduct: "You would expect its members to be army officers who understand." Senior Palestinian officials have alleged there was a "massacre of 500 people" in the West Bank camp during fierce fighting in which 23 Israeli soldiers were killed and scores of Palestinian militants arrested. Israeli officials are concerned that the actions of Palestinian gunmen, accused of using civilians as human shields, will not be investigated.