Hundreds of civilians were killed in the massacre

Additional Reporting by Mustafa el-Sawwaf, IOL Correspondent

JENIN, April 3 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – More than 15,000 Palestinians took to the streets of the West Bank town of Jenin Saturday, April 3, marking the second anniversary of the Israeli bloody massacre.

Representatives of all national forces joined the protestors, including policemen in their duty gear.

They waived images of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and Hamas spiritual leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, who was assassinated by Israeli forces on his way back from a dawn prayers on March 22.

The demonstrations revived grim memories of the massacre in the largest Israeli army aggression, when tanks and armored vehicles rolled into the Jenin refugee camp on April 3.

Israel declared the camp – with a population of 15,000 people - a closed military zone and prevented the media from entering before they cleaned up their act.

Israeli occupation forces started sealing off the Janin camp on April 2, 2002.

After failing to storm their way into because of fierce resistance by Palestinian resistance fighters, Israeli forces brought in 400 tanks and U.S.-made Apache helicopters.

Israel also summoned reservists, special forces and commandoes, with the number of amassed troops put at around 5000.

Eyewitnesses said only about 80-100 Palestinian fighters were standing their ground against the invading troops.

They have killed at least 23 Israeli soldiers, including 13 in a single battle on April 9.

According to Palestinian official figures, Israeli forces killed 52 Palestinians, including four children, four women and two elders.

The Israeli forces arrested all Palestinians between 15 and 50 years old and later released them expect for 250.

During the Israeli operation, 487 Palestinian houses were razed to the ground inside the camp and 22 others flattened in Jenin city.

No one really knew the extent of the atrocities committed in that camp, but those who miraculously managed to make it out had horrific stories to tell the world.

World Denunciation

The massacre drew world condemnation, with U.N. special envoy Terje Roed-Larsen calling the scene in aftermath "horrific beyond belief".

"It is totally destroyed, it looks like an earthquake has hit it," said Roed-Larsen, visiting the northern West Bank camp with Red Cross and U.N. workers.

"It is totally unacceptable and horrific beyond belief."

Human rights groups protested at the lack of rescue efforts in the camp amid reports that a family buried for several days in the rubble had pleaded for help by phone.

"It is shocking that the [Israeli] authorities have not asked for help and that the international community is not offering it," Amnesty International said.

Speaking from inside the ruined camp, Amnesty representative Javier Zuniga said: "This is one of the worst scenes of devastation I have ever witnessed. There is a real possibility that people are still alive under the rubble of their former homes".

The Israeli army admitted Friday, April 12, to murdering hundreds of Palestinians in the camp, in what U.N. chief Kofi Annan described an "appalling" massacre.

The spokesman for a group of 19 European lawmakers visiting the West Bank said Tuesday, April 23, that the Israeli occupation army's assault on the Jenin refugee camp "shows all the signs of a war crime."