Annan announces fact-finding team for Jenin camp

A Palestinian man sits among debris in the Jenin refugee camp

UNITED NATIONS (CNN) -- U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan Monday announced an "accomplished, highly respected and independent" fact-finding team to investigate the events at the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank.

"I have tried to put together a team with considerable experience, a team familiar with humanitarian issues," Annan told a news conference at the United Nations.

Palestinians claim hundreds died in what they are calling a massacre at the camp during Israel's military offensive. Israel vehemently denies the charge, saying deaths -- including 23 of their own soldiers -- came during fierce fighting. Those visiting the camp say it has been largely destroyed.

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"I expect the government of Israel and Palestinian Authority to cooperate fully and provide full and complete access to all sites, sources of information and individuals that the team will consider necessary to meet and exercise their functions," Annan said.

The team, headed by former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari, will report its findings to Annan, who will present them to the Security Council, which authorized the fact-finding mission Friday.

Ahtisaari said the team should reach the Jenin camp later this week. No timetable was given for its work.

"Our intention is to meet as soon as possible," he said. "We will, of course, go after all the necessary information" at the camp.

"The Palestinian Authority and its leader welcome the appointment of a fact-finding committee," the government body said in a statement.

"The Palestinian Authority will facilitate every possible assistance and will fully cooperate, hoping that the committee can produce the facts" expeditiously, the authority said, "so the whole world can know the truth about what took place in Jenin."

Other members of the fact-finding team are Sadako Ogata, former U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, and Cornelio Sommaruga, former head of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Retired U.S. Maj. Gen. Bill Nash will act as military adviser, and Peter Fitzgerald as a police adviser. Nash worked for the United Nations in Kosovo and commanded a multinational division in Bosnia. Fitzgerald has experience in Bosnia.

On a related issue, Annan was asked about earlier comments by Israel that it would refuse to support the participation of anyone on the team who was unfriendly to Israel.

The Israeli government said it would object to Mary Robinson, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights; Terje Roed-Larsen, the U.N. Middle East envoy; and Peter Hansen, commissioner-general of the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees.

"There was never any intention on my part to make Mr. Hansen, Mary Robinson or Larsen part of the team," Annan said. "And so I found it rather unfortunate that there has been such public objection to their participation. The issue was never posed."

"All three of them are extraordinary international civil servants who have worked very hard within the spirit of the charter and ideals of the organization, and I'm rather disappointed that they have been attacked so publicly," Annan said.