Identical letters dated 12 November 2014 from the Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General, the President of the General Assembly and the President of the Security Council
Once again, we must draw the international community's attention to the alarming situation resulting from ongoing illegal Israeli actions and provocations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, which continue to exacerbate the already dangerous situation. These illegal Israeli actions are clearly intended to entrench the occupation, repress the Palestinian people into submission to this occupation and further undermine the Palestinian leadership, including through the continuation of a raging campaign of incitement directed at President Mahmoud Abbas by Israeli ministers. All together, these continued violations will only further destabilize the situation and have far-reaching, negative consequences for both peoples and for the region.
We reiterate our unequivocal condemnation and rejection of Israel's escalation of aggressions in Occupied East Jerusalem, in particular in and around the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, which continues to be subjected to incursions and provocations by Israeli extremists, including settlers and government officials. The flagrant disrespect for this Holy Site and for Palestinian worshippers, marked by nearly daily incursions into the compound and the denial of entry to Palestinian worshippers by Israeli occupying forces, along with repeated declarations amounting to blatant incitement must be taken seriously by the international community, as they are stoking religious sensitivities and aggravating tensions, and have the potential to spiral out of control.
Since our letter of 5 November 2014, I am compelled to draw attention to several serious incidents that have taken place, including yesterday's killing by Israeli occupying forces of Imad Jawabrah, age 22, a Palestinian from the Al-Aroub refugee camp located in the governorate of Al-Khalil, all in clear violation of international law, including humanitarian and human rights law, and which continue to create instability and to inflict further hardship on our people.
6 November 2014
- Israeli occupying forces conducted multiple violent military raids, including in East Jerusalem, Ramallah, Jenin, Nablus, Jericho, Bethlehem and Al-Khalil (Hebron), using excessive force against Palestinian civilians, which resulted in several injuries, including to a child who was seriously wounded after an Israeli stun grenade exploded near him.
- Nineteen Palestinians in Occupied East Jerusalem, including a child and a university professor, were detained by Israeli occupying forces.
- Israeli forces confiscated a plot of Palestinian land (60 acres) in the area of Al-Sheikh Sa'ed in Occupied East Jerusalem.
- Israeli occupying forces prevented an ambulance carrying an ill Palestinian civilian from crossing a checkpoint near the so-called settlement of Kiryat Arba in Al-Khalil.
- Israeli occupying forces closed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Occupied East Jerusalem.
- Israel approved the construction of another 278 settlement units in Occupied East Jerusalem.
- Israeli settlers assaulted and injured three Palestinians near Bab Al-Amoud gate, in Occupied East Jerusalem, and assaulted a Palestinian near the so-called settlement of Bet El, in Ramallah.
- Yet another incident in which settlers attempted to run over a Palestinian, this time in Bethlehem, was reported.
7 November 2014
- Israeli occupying forces conducted multiple military raids, including in Occupied East Jerusalem, Tulkarem, Nablus, Jericho and Bethlehem.
- Nineteen Palestinians in Occupied East Jerusalem, one in Ramallah, three in Nablus, eight in Al-Khalil and one in the northern Gaza Strip, including 11 children, a paramedic and an international peace activist, were injured by Israeli occupying forces.
- Nine Palestinians in Occupied East Jerusalem and three in Al-Khalil, including two children and one woman, were detained by Israeli occupying forces after being injured.
- Israeli occupying forces confiscated 214 acres of land in Biddu, Beit Surik, Qutna and Ghalous area in Occupied East Jerusalem.
8 November 2014
- Israeli occupying forces conducted multiple military raids, including in Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Al-Khalil.
- Israeli occupying forces assaulted and injured a Palestinian child in the emergency room of Al-Makassid hospital in Occupied East Jerusalem and assaulted a resident in Tubas in the West Bank.
- Nine Palestinians in Occupied East Jerusalem, one in Nablus and two in Al-Khalil, including five children, were detained by Israeli occupying forces.
- Israeli occupying forces served a military order for the confiscation of 12,852 acres of land in Beit Ikssa in Occupied East Jerusalem for so-called military purposes.
- Israeli settlers stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Occupied East Jerusalem and provoked Palestinian worshippers.
- Israeli settlers stoned schoolchildren in the neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah and stoned vehicles in Occupied East Jerusalem and Israeli settlers harassed and intimidated several farmers while harvesting olives in Nablus and stoned residents and vehicles in Al-Khalil.
9 November 2014
- Israeli occupying forces conducted multiple military raids, including in Occupied East Jerusalem, Ramallah, Nablus, Bethlehem and Al-Khalil.
- One Palestinian in Occupied East Jerusalem, one in Qalqiliya and two in Rafah, as well as two fishermen in Gaza, were injured by Israeli occupying forces.
- Fifteen Palestinians in Occupied East Jerusalem, one in Ramallah, one in Tulkarem, one in Nablus and two in Al-Khalil, including a child, were detained by the occupying forces.
- Israeli occupying forces served demolition orders for several homes in Beit Hanina in Occupied East Jerusalem and served demolition orders for two homes in Bethlehem.
- Israeli settlers, under the protection of occupying forces, stormed the Al -Aqsa Mosque compound and provoked Palestinian worshippers.
- Occupying forces evicted nine families from their homes in the area of Ras Al-Hamra in Tubas in the West Bank from 9 to 11 November so that Israeli occupying forces could conduct military exercises.
- Israeli occupying forces levelled a plot of agricultural land near the so-called settlement of Nitavim, located in Occupied East Jerusalem, for the purpose of settlement expansion.
- Israeli settlers assaulted and injured a resident in Occupied East Jerusalem and stormed a Palestinian home in the neighbourhood of Silwan in an attempt to occupy it.
10 November 2014
- Israeli occupying forces conducted multiple military raids, including five in Ramallah, one in Jenin, two in Qalqiliya, three in Nablus, one in Jericho, one in Bethlehem, three in Al-Khalil and one in central Gaza.
- Three Palestinians in Occupied East Jerusalem and two in Al-Khalil, including three children, were injured after a tear gas grenade canister exploded near them.
- Nine Palestinians in Occupied East Jerusalem, two in Ramallah, one in Qalqiliya, seven in Nablus, one in Bethlehem and eight in Al-Khalil, including a child and an injured resident, were detained by Israeli occupying forces.
- Occupying forces demolished seven residential structures in Tubas in the West Bank and served demolition orders for four homes in Qalqiliya, one home in Nablus, three homes in Bethlehem, four homes and one school in Al-Khalil.
- Israeli settlers carried out another incursion at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.
- Israeli settlers slashed the tires of five vehicles, chanted anti-Arab slogans, assaulted a Palestinian with pepper spray in Occupied East Jerusalem, closed a road in Ramallah, stoned vehicles in Nablus, stoned and damaged 30 vehicles in Salfit and attacked homes in Al-Khalil.
All of the above illegal and provocative actions by Israel, the occupying Power, and its settlers in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, are causing suffering for the Palestinian people and worsening conditions on the ground. These actions, which, as documented, occur on a daily basis, are inflaming tensions and threaten to critically destabilize the situation, in the midst of the turmoil already festering in the region, and are actions that are completely contradictory to the conditions necessary for promoting calm and contradictory to the objectives of salvaging any chance for peace between the two parties. Israel must be held accountable for all actions that perpetuate and entrench this 47-year military occupation, in total contradiction to our collective goal of peace.
We thus renew our call upon the international community, including the Security Council, to uphold international law and the responsibility to address this critical situation, including the dangerous situation being provoked in Occupied East Jerusalem by the occupying Power. For the sake of peace, all efforts must be made to compel Israel, the occupying Power, to cease all violations and abide by its obligations under international law. This is imperative for de-escalating tensions, promoting calm and allowing for the emergence of an environment that is truly conducive to the pursuit of peace and is aimed at bringing an end to the Israeli occupation that began in 1967 and at achieving the independence of the State of Palestine, with East Jerusalem as its capital, before this solution is no longer an option owing to Israel's illegal and destructive policies and practices.
It should be recalled that 40 years ago, on 13 November 1974, the late Chair of the Palestine Liberation Organization, H.E. Yasser Arafat, gave his historic "olive branch and gun" speech at the twenty-ninth session of the General Assembly, in which he first suggested that Israel and Palestine "might live together in a framework of just peace". Yesterday, the Palestinian people marked 10 years since the death of President Yasser Arafat, our iconic leader of hope whose legacy is still cherished by Palestinians worldwide. The international community must take all measures necessary not to let the olive branch fall from our hands and, rather, work towards instilling hope among the Palestinian people, in the belief that achieving peace through peaceful means is not only possible but imminent.
This letter is in follow-up to our 528 letters regarding the ongoing crisis in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, which constitutes the State of Palestine. These letters, dated from 29 September 2000 (A/55/432-5/2000/921) to 5 November 2014 (A/ES-10/664-5/2014/791) constitute a basic record of the crimes being committed against the Palestinian people. Israel, the occupying Power, must be held accountable and the perpetrators must be brought to justice.
I should be grateful if you would arrange to have the text of the present letter distributed as a document of the tenth emergency special session of the General Assembly, under agenda item 5, and of the Security Council.
(Signed) Riyad Mansour
Ambassador
Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine to the United Nations
Document Type: Letter, Palestine letter (Situation in the OPT since 29 September 2000)
Document Sources: General Assembly, General Assembly 10th Emergency Special Session, Secretary-General, Security Council
Country: Palestine
Subject: Agenda Item, Annexation, Casualties, Children, Extrajudicial killings, Gaza Strip, Holy places, House demolitions, Human rights and international humanitarian law, Inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, Incidents, Incursions, International presence, Jerusalem, Land, Legal issues, Living conditions, Occupation, Population, Prisoners and detainees, Protection, Security issues, Settlements, Situation in the OPT including Jerusalem, Terrorism
Publication Date: 12/11/2014