Human rights situation in the OPT – CHR – Letter from Palestine

QUESTION OF THE VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE

OCCUPIED ARAB TERRITORIES, INCLUDING PALESTINE

Letter dated 13 March 1998 from the Permanent Observer of

Palestine to the United Nations Office at Geneva addressed

to the High Commissioner for Human Rights

1. For the third consecutive day, the Israeli occupation forces have continued firing shots at Palestinian civilians, and wounded 39 other Palestinians yesterday Thursday, 12 March 1998 in the cities of Hebron, Bethlehem and Ramallah.

2. The Israeli occupation authorities had already released from custody, with no punishment, the three Israeli soldiers responsible for the mass killing which took place last Tuesday when these soldiers, armed with loathsome hatred and racist aversion, opened fire on a group of Palestinian workers, killed three of them and wounded nine others in Tarkumiya junction in the city of Hebron.

3. By so doing, the Israeli Government is inciting its occupation soldiers to kill Palestinians, without standing any trial and without receiving the appropriate punishment.  Furthermore, by its instructions and its systematic education of its soldiers, which are founded on hatred, aversion and loathsome racism, the Israeli Government is committing the most serious violation of the right to life.

4. I would be grateful to you if you could have this memorandum distributed as an official document to the members of the upcoming fifty-fourth session of the Commission on Human Rights under item 4 of its agenda.

(Signed):  Nabil RAMLAWI

Ambassador

Permanent Observer of Palestine

to the United Nations Office in Geneva

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