Israel finishes withdrawal from Jenin

Israel completed its pullback from the West Bank town of Jenin today with forces redeploying on the outskirts of the town, Israel radio reported.

The move allowed residents to begin searching for relatives and belongings in a devastated refugee camp, where a UN official called the scene ‘‘horrifying beyond belief’’.

In Bethlehem, a meeting to negotiate a peaceful evacuation of about 200 gunmen and 50 clerics in the Church of the Nativity was cancelled. Each side blamed the other.

The sound of gunfire and stun grenades could be heard late yesterday near the church, and smoke rose from the compound. The Israeli military said gunmen in the church opened fire, and soldiers responded. The military has banned reporters from the area.

The gunmen fled into the church, which marks the traditional birthplace of Jesus and is one of Christianity’s holiest sites, ahead of invading Israeli tanks and troops on April 1.

In Gaza early today, Israeli troops moved briefly into Palestinian-controlled territory near the border with Egypt, scene of frequent clashes and incursions.

Palestinian doctors said two people were killed by Israeli gunfire. Israeli military sources said that during a routine operation, Palestinians shot at soldiers, who returned the fire.

After Israeli forces loosened their grip on Jenin and its adjacent refugee camp, residents picked through rubble of buildings destroyed in fierce fighting that ended April 11, braving the stench of decaying bodies in a desperate search for loved ones.

Touring the Jenin camp yesterday, UN Middle East envoy Terje Larsen was harshly critical of the Israelis, though he would not take sides on the hottest disagreement - Palestinian claims that Israeli soldiers massacred hundreds of civilians in the camp, while Israel maintained that most of the dead were gunmen or bombers.

He said about 300 buildings were destroyed and 2,000 people were left homeless in the Israeli operation to capture or kill armed militants.

‘‘Corpses were being dug up just below the surface and the stench is terrible,’’ said the Norwegian diplomat.

‘‘This is horrifying beyond belief. Just seeing this area, it looks like there’s been an earthquake here.’’

Another 35 decomposing bodies were buried in Nablus when Israel lifted a curfew for three hours.

Israeli forces were to pull out of Nablus over the weekend, said Israeli defence minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer.

Near Nablus, Israel said it captured Husam Ataf Ali Badran, a leader of the Hamas militant organisation who the army said was responsible for the deaths of more than 100 Israelis in some of the worst suicide bombings in the last year.

Witnesses said Israeli helicopters fired missiles and machine guns at an isolated house in a field of orange trees. Israel Radio said three others were killed in the attack.

In New York, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan called for a ‘‘robust’’ international peace force to stop Palestinian-Israeli violence, but Israel turned down the idea.

After withdrawing, the army declared Jenin a closed military area and banned reporters from entering.