Mideast situation – Letter from Israel

Letter dated 8 August 2001 from the Permanent Representative of Israel

to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General

I wish to draw your attention to the latest incidents in the ongoing Palestinian campaign of terrorism directed against Israeli civilians. Last night, an Israeli paramedic returning home discovered the body of Zohar Shurgi, age 40 and father of three, in his vehicle by the side of the road. Shurgi had earlier been shot and killed by Palestinian terrorists in a drive-by shooting.

The murder of Zohar Shurgi is merely the latest fatality in the continuing Palestinian terror campaign that has also included mortar attacks and suicide bombings. Just this morning, a Palestinian suicide bomber blew himself up in his vehicle as he approached an Israeli security checkpoint. No one was killed, but an Israeli soldier suffer light wounds.

Previous Palestinian terror attacks have been detailed in my letters dated 6 August 2001 (A/56/272-S/2001/768), 27 July 2001 (A/56/225-S/2001/743), 26 July 2001 (A/56/223-S/2001/737), 17 July 2001 (A/56/201-S/2001/706), 13 July 2001 (A/56/184-S/2001/696), 3 July 2001 (A/56/138-S/2001/662), 21 June 2001 (A/56/119-S/2001/619), 19 June 2001 (A/56/98-S/2001/611), 18 June 2001 (A/56/97-S/2001/604), 13 June 2001 (A/56/92-S/2001/585), 11 June 2001 (A/56/91-S/2001/580), 4 June 2001 (A/56/85-S/2001/555), 30 May 2001 (A/56/81-S/2001/540), 25 May 2001 (A/56/80-S/2001/524), 18 May 2001 (A/56/78-S/2001/506), 11 May 2001 (A/56/72-S/2001/473), 9 May 2001 (A/56/69-S/2001/459), 1 May 2001 (A/55/924-S/2001/435), 23 April 2001 (A/55/910-S/2001/396), 16 April 2001 (A/55/901-S/2001/364), 28 March 2001 (A/55/863-S/2001/291), 27 March 2001 (A/55/860-S/2001/280), 26 March 2001 (A/55/858-S/2001/278), 19 March 2001 (A/55/842-S/2001/244), 5 March 2001 (A/55/821-S/2001/193), 2 March 2001 (A/55/819-S/2001/187), 14 February 2001 (A/55/787-S/2001/137), 13 February 2001 (A/55/781-S/2001/132), 2 February 2001 (A/55/762-S/2001/103), 25 January 2001 (A/55/748-S/2001/81), 23 January 2001 (A/55/742-S/2001/71), 28 December 2000 (A/55/719-S/2000/1252), 22 November 2000 (A/55/641-S/2000/1114), 20 November 2000 (A/55/634-S/2000/1108) and 2 November 2000 (A/55/540-S/2000/1065).

Despite the Palestinian leadership’s repeated claims of adherence to the ceasefire that went into effect on 13 June 2001, Israelis continue to be killed and wounded on a near-daily basis by terrorists based in the areas under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority. Though Israel has repeatedly appealed to the Palestinians to honour their numerous signed commitments to fight terrorism, there has been no concerted effort exerted in this regard. As a result, since the ceasefire went into effect, 19 Israelis have been killed and there have been over 1,000 incidents of terrorism, and the number continues to rise.

Israel again calls on the Palestinian leadership to honour their fundamental legal and moral obligations to prevent the perpetration of terrorist attacks aimed at Israeli citizens, to end the relentless incitement in the Palestinian media, and to rearrest convicted terrorists that have been released from prison.

I should be grateful if you would arrange to have the text of the present letter circulated as a document of the fifty-sixth session of the General Assembly, under item 178 of the provisional agenda, and of the Security Council.

(Signed) Yehuda Lancry

Permanent Representative