Situation in the OPT – Letter from Palestine

Letter dated 12 October 1992 from the Permanent Observer

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

I have been instructed by the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, which retains the powers and responsibilities of the Provisional Government of Palestine, to bring the following to your attention:

Referring to my letter addressed to Your Excellency on 6 October 1992, I would further like to inform you of recent developments in the occupied Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem.  In the last five days, several Palestinian protesters have been killed and at least 200 have been wounded by Israeli troops.  The protesters have been demonstrating in solidarity with the thousands of Palestinian prisoners who are on hunger strike in Israeli jails and detention centres.  The hunger strike, begun on 27 September 1992, was undertaken after the prisoners had exhausted all other means of calling attention to their grievances and having them addressed by the Israeli prison authorities.

I would also like to refer to statements recently made by the Prime Minister of Israel with regard to the current situation, which forebode an increase in Israeli repression and violence against the Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem.

As I mentioned previously, we expect actions to be taken by the Secretary-General and the Security Council to put an end to the continuous breaches of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 committed by the Israeli authorities and to put an end to the suffering of the Palestinian prisoners.

I would be grateful if you would arrange to have the text of this letter distributed as an official document of the General Assembly, under agenda items 30, 35, 73 and 74, and of the Security Council.

(Signed)  Nasser AL-KIDWA

Permanent Observer of

Palestine to the United Nations

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