IDF Explains - "A balanced person does not booby-trap his house with the intent of returning to it," Brig.-Gen. Eyal Shlein, who commands the fighting in the Jenin region, said yesterday. "Among the detainees [that we arrested], there was a large number of suicide bombers who were prepared with videos already en-route to carry out suicide attacks... Explosive belts [that we found] are too numerous to be counted... The terrorist hardcore exploits local residents who do not want to fight. Some of them are hostages, whose houses are being used as booby traps..."
Asked about allegations of a massacre and the prevention of media coverage, Shlein said, "There was no massacre whatsoever. If we wanted to perform a massacre, we could have taken over the camp in one day. The IDF did not use artillery or aircraft. The IDF is one of the most humanitarian armies in the world. It is important to emphasize that whoever uses women, children and the elderly as defensive shields - would pay a price for doing so. We have also paid our price."
Asked if the army intends to destroy the area, Shlein said, "No. Many buildings are booby-trapped. The more we enter the center of the camp, the more booby traps we encounter. We do not want to suffer casualties. We intend to demolish the buildings which are booby-trapped because after we get everyone out, they will accuse us of leaving houses with bombs in them."
Q: "What about the allegations regarding the prevention of humanitarian support?"
A: "During the battle, the curfew was lifted. We made possible the supply of food, fuel and electricity in the hospital. Some of the houses were indeed destroyed, but the ones who are responsible for this destruction are those who had arranged the village for this kind of fighting." |
