Illegal Israeli actions in OPT – Letter from Palestine

Identical letters dated 13 December 2000 from the Permanent Observer

of Palestine to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General

and the President of the Security Council

Pre-dawn today, Israeli occupying forces moved tanks and bulldozers towards the Khan Yunis refugee camp in the vicinity of that city, encroaching the area under full Palestinian control and trying to demolish several structures. The occupying forces also shelled a police post in the same area, killing at least one policeman. Exchange of fire ensued, during which the Israeli occupying forces used tank shells and missiles, killing a total of four Palestinian policemen and injuring more than 40 civilians, making it a night of complete horror for the residents of the area.

Also today, following a pattern of similar crimes, the Israeli occupying forces committed another execution of a Palestinian civilian. Mr. Abbass Al-O’waiwi, who was standing in front of his shop in the middle of the city of Al-Khalil, was shot to death by 3 bullets from an Israeli post at a distance of 250 metres. Yesterday, in the village of Al Khadir, near Bethlehem, Mr. Yussef Abu Soaie was stepping out of his home when he was hit by several Israeli bullets from the hills overseeing the village from a distance of approximately 200 metres. A similar execution also took place on Monday, 11 December 2000, in the city of Nablus, when Mr. Anwar Hamran was hit by 19 bullets coming from an Israeli post at a distance of 1,000 metres as he was standing in front of a building of the Open University of Jerusalem. All of these assassinations by Israeli sharpshooters clearly represent additional war crimes of which the soldiers of the occupying Power are guilty.

In follow-up of my recent letters to you, dated from 29 September to 11 December 2000 (A/55/432-S/2000/921; A/55/437-S/2000/930; A/55/450-S/2000/957; A/55/466-S/2000/971; A/55/474-S/2000/984; A/55/490-S/2000/993; A/ES-10/39-S/2000/1015; A/ES-10/40-S/2000/1025; A/ES-10/42-S/2000/1068; A/ES-10/43-S/2000/1078; A/ES-10/44-S/2000/1093; A/ES-10/45-S/2000/1104; A/ES-10/46-S/2000/1107; A/ES-10/47-S/2000/1116; A/ES-10/48-S/2000/1129; A/ES-10/49-S/2000/1154; and A/ES-10/50-S/2000/1173), the number of Palestinians killed since my last letter to you, until today, are 8 Palestinians, which brings the total number of Palestinians killed since 29 September 2000 to 291 martyrs. (The names of the 8 martyrs are annexed.)

This grave deterioration of the situation on the ground in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem, is taking place while the Security Council is still debating the draft resolution to establish a United Nations force of military and police observers that would greatly help to bring this continuous bloodshed to an end. We believe that the Security Council must act immediately, absent of which it will be unable or unwilling to fulfil its responsibility under the Charter of the United Nations.

I would be grateful if you would arrange to have the text of the present letter and its annex distributed as a document of the tenth emergency special session of the General Assembly and of the Security Council.

(Signed) Nasser Al-Kidwa

Ambassador, Permanent Observer of Palestine

to the United Nations

Annex to the identical letters dated 13 December 2000 from the

Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations addressed

to the Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council

Names of martyrs killed by Israeli security forces in the

Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem

(Monday, 11 December, through Wednesday, 13 December 2000)

Monday, 11 December 2000

1. Ahmad Ali Al-Qawasmi (14 years old) (died from wounds sustained on 8 December 2000)

2. Anwar Mahmoud Hamran

Tuesday, 12 December 2000

Yousef Ahmad Abu Soaie

Wednesday, 13 December 2000

1. Mahdi Ahmad Akeelah

2. Mohammed Jamal Abu El-Lo’la

3. Ahmad Ismail Motair

4. Jabr Al-Sabe’

5. Abbas Othman Al-O’waiwi

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