The offensive led by the Israeli army in the Palestinian territories has left an unprecedented level of violence in its wake. Images of horror from the Jenin refugee camp reveal an unparalleled humanitarian disaster, with houses and hospitals destroyed and corpses buried beneath the rubble or lying in the devastated streets. The infrastructure of civil society and the Palestinian Authority - Its symbols, structures of power, institutions of government, schools, cultural centres - has been destroyed. There is a shortage of everything: water, food, clothing, medication, blankets. Thousands of persons are missing.

The Sharon government's military aggression has violated humanitarian and international law, creating a human tragedy that will leave an indelible mark on the conscience of humanity. This escalation is the continuation of a deliberate policy of occupying territory and expelling its inhabitants, a policy amounting to ethnic cleansing.

This deterioration in the situation would not have been possible without the hesitations and silent acquiescence of the international community. Nothing was done to halt the building of settlements, even while the pretence of peace negotiations continued.

The United States has a particular responsibility in this crisis because of its influence on Israeli policy and the unconditional financial and political support it has given successive Israeli governments. By demonizing the Palestinian Authority and the Palestin-ian people as a whole, the U.S. media portray Israel as victim. Too few voices question this vision. The Canadian government, through its silence and its refusal to condemn serious violations of international humanitarian law, has become an accomplice of Israeli government policy.