Israeli officers testify they knew of killings early

Two senior Israeli officers told the commission of inquiry into the Beirut massacre that they had passed on information about killings in Palestinian camps almost a full day before the shooting ended.

Moshe Chevroni, a lieutenant colonel in military intelligence, testified he was awakened at dawn on Sept. 17 with reports that 300 people had been killed in the Beirut camps. He said he ordered the information to be conveyed to an aide of Defense Minister Ariel Sharon. He said the aide, Avi Dodai, had lied in testifying that he first heard reports of a massacre late that afternoon. Lt. Col. Reuven Guy, an assistant to Dodai, testified that he had received the information about the killings from Chevroni and had passed it on.