Situation in the OPT – Letter from Palestine

Letter dated 26 July 1990 from the Permanent Observer of Palestine

to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General

I am instructed by the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, which has the powers and responsibilities of the Provisional Government of Palestine, to bring the following to your immediate attention:

During the past four days, Al Shiffa Hospital admitted 15 pregnant Palestinian women. who were all suffering symptoms of early childbirth due to the inhalation of poisonous tear-gas.  The names of the women, who eventually lost their babies, are as follows:

1. Mounira Fawzi Al Kafarneh, 18 years old, from Beit Hanoun, was two months' pregnant;

2. Hafsah Abu Halim, 23 years old, of Nussarat refugee camp, was two months' pregnant;

3. Zeinab Omar Mattar, 23 years old, of Deir Al Balah refugee camp, was three months' pregnant;

4. Alia Hammad, 21 years old, from Beit Lahia village, was two months' pregnant;

5. Sabiha Khalil Tabazeh, 23 years old, of Nussarat refugee camp, was three months' pregnant;

6. Amneh Atta Al Massri, 22 years old, from Beit Hanoun village, was three months' pregnant;

7. Azeh Hamed Al Sharif, 22 years old, of Shati' refugee camp, was two months' pregnant;

8. Mona Moustafa Al Halkout, 18 years old, from Al Sheikh Radwan, was four months' pregnant;

9. Ibtissam Mouhammed Afaneh, 20 years old, of Al Shati' refugee camp, was two months' pregnant;

10. Naimeh Harb Abu Tahoun, 25 years old, of Jabalia refugee camp, was three months' pregnant;

11. Shama' Abed Al Karim Shamali, 20 years old, from Al Shaja', was three months' pregnant;

12. Huda Rajab Al Khadi, 22 years old, from Rafah, was three months' pregnant;

13. Fatima Al Jara, 32 years old, from Abssan Al Kabira, was two months' pregnant;

14. Nehma Abu Eideh, 30 years old, from Khan Yunis, was two months' pregnant;

15. Mona Youssif Wadi, 20 years old, of Khan Yunis refugee camp, was two months' pregnant.

Palestine calls upon the Secretary-General and the Security Council of the United Nations to take all appropriate and necessary measures to bring an end to the violent attacks of the Israeli soldiers against the unarmed Palestinian people, and especially women and children, living in the occupied Palestinian territory and to bring adequate pressure on Israel, the occupying Power, to ensure respect for the Fourth Geneva Convention.

I should be grateful if you would arrange to have the text of this letter circulated as an official document of the General Assembly, under items 23, 35 and 77 of the provisional  agenda, and of the Security Council.

(Signed) Zuhdi Labib TERZI

Permanent Observer of Palestine

to the United Nations

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*A/45/50 and Corr.1.