(4 of 11)
On Thursday, Sept. 17, the report continued, final arrangements were made for a Phalangist intelligence unit, headed by Elias Hobeika, intelligence chief of the Phalangist forces, to enter the camps, and at about 6 p.m. the entry occurred. That night and throughout the following day, reports reached a number of Israeli officers and enlisted men of trouble within the camps, but top Israeli military men ignored or underplayed these warnings. The report concluded that as late as 4 p.m. Friday, when he met with Phalangist commanders, Chief of Staff Eitan told them they should "continue the action, mopping up the empty camps" until 5 a.m. Saturday, by which time they must leave the camps because of "American pressure." It was not until Friday evening that Eitan reported to Sharon, according to the Defense Minister, that the Phalangists had "gone too far," and Begin himself, as he testified in November, did not learn of the massacre until he tuned in the BBC toward evening on Saturday.
As it turned out, the Phalangists did not leave by 5 a.m. Saturday. They remained and continued their murderous harassment in the vicinity of Gaza Hospital, finally departing at 8 a.m., only after receiving a further warning from the Israeli divisional commander in charge of the troops in the area, Brigadier General Amos Yaron. What they left behind was death and outrage.
Who shared in the "indirect" responsibility for the deaths? Prune Minister Begin, said the commission, was "not a party to the decision to have Phalangists move into the camps." Nonetheless, it continued, he had displayed an "indifference" to the whole affair, and "for two days after the Prune Minister heard about the Phalangists' entry, he showed absolutely no interest in their actions in the camps." The commission concluded that Begin's "lack of involvement in the entire matter casts on him a certain degree of responsibility," but it did not recommend that he be obliged to step down as Prime Minister.
Similarly, the commission found that Foreign Minister Shamir had "erred" in failing to do anything about a telephone call he received Friday, Sept. 17, from Communications Minister Mordechai Zipori warning him of a report that the Phalangists were slaughtering Palestinians in the camps. But it did not recommend that any action be taken against him.