Illegal Israeli actions in OPT – Letter from Palestine

Identical letters dated 15 May 2006 from the Permanent

Observer of Palestine to the United Nations addressed to the

Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council

  In grave breach of international law, including international humanitarian law, Israel, the occupying Power, continues to use excessive and indiscriminate force and to launch military attacks against the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Today, Israeli occupying forces have intensified their deadly military attacks and carried out yet another raid into the villages of Qabatiya and Jenin in the West Bank, killing at least six Palestinians. At the same time, more than 16 Palestinians were injured, including seven children and a journalist. This latest Israeli crime was committed as the Palestinian people solemnly commemorated the fifty-eighth anniversary of Al-Nakba — the day the Palestinian people were uprooted from their homeland in 1948 amidst massacres, destruction and the devastation of war.

  In the larger of the two raids, Israeli occupying forces stormed into the village of Qabatiya in the northern West Bank and surrounded a house where Elias Ashkar was seeking shelter. After a barrage of gunfire, an Israeli bulldozer flattened the house, killing him instantly. In the same military attack, at least five others were killed and many were injured. Also, in the neighbouring town of Jenin, Israeli occupying forces fatally shot a Palestinian security official.

  The international community must take action to compel Israel, the occupying Power, to cease its military attacks and to scrupulously abide by international law, particularly the provisions of the Fourth Geneva Convention, in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem. Lack of firm action by the international community will only allow Israel to carry on with impunity its illegal policies and practices against the Palestinian civilian population, leading to even more death, injury and loss for the Palestinian people.

  This letter is in follow-up to our previous 240 letters to you regarding the ongoing crisis in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, since 28 September 2000. These letters, dated from 29 September 2000 (A/55/432-S/2000/921) to 5 May 2006 (A/ES-10/330-S/2006/279), constitute a basic record of the crimes committed by Israel, the occupying Power, against the Palestinian people since September 2000. For all of these war crimes, State terrorism and systematic human rights violations committed against the Palestinian people, Israel, the occupying Power, must be held accountable and the perpetrators must be brought to justice.

  Accordingly, in follow-up to the above-mentioned letters, it is my profound regret to inform you that, since our last letter to you, at least six more Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli occupying forces, raising the total number of martyrs killed since September 2000 to 3,850 . (The names of the martyrs that have been identified are listed in the annex to the present letter.)

  I should 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, under agenda item 5, and of the Security Council.

(Signed) Riyad Mansour 

Ambassador

Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations

    Annex to the identical letters dated 15 May 2006 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 the Israeli occupying forces in the 

Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem *

   (Monday, 14 May 2006)

Monday, 14 May 2006

1.  Elias Ashkar

2.  Jihad Kameel

3.  Mujahid Hanaysheh

4.  Thair Hanaysheh

5.  Ali Jabareen

6.  Mutasem Ja’ar

*   The total number of Palestinian martyrs killed by the Israeli occupying forces since 28 September 2000 is 3,850.

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