Illegal Israeli actions in the OPT – Letter from Palestine

Identical letters dated 11 December 2000 from

the Permanent Observer of Palestine to the

United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General

and the President of the Security Council

The bloody Israeli military campaign against the Palestinian people has continued for over two months, with a rising number of casualties in the past few days. The Israeli occupying forces continue to use live ammunition and heavy weaponry, including tanks, against the civilian population in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem.

In follow-up of my previous letters to you, dated from 29 September to 4 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-10/41-S/2000/1046, 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 and A/ES-10/49-S/2000/1154), I regret to inform you that, since my last letter dated 4 December 2000 and until today, 17 more Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli occupying forces. These casualties bring the total number of deaths to 283 Palestinians. (The names of the 17 martyrs are annexed.) Numerous Palestinian civilians have also been wounded during that same time period.

On 8 December, another grave violation was committed by the Israeli occupying forces, which used one of its tanks to shell a Palestinian police position in the vicinity of the city of Jenin, instantly killing 4 policemen and a civilian passer-by. The killing of those 5 martyrs presents yet another grim example of the continuing and intense brutality and violence of the occupying Power against the Palestinian people. At the same time, the Israeli closure measures on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem, have continued and intensified in recent days, exacerbating the socio-economic suffocation of the entire population.

I would also like to draw your attention to the recent Israeli army apology to a freelance photographer from New York who was shot by an Israeli soldier in Bethlehem last month. The army told the photographer that the soldier and his commanders would be punished for using live ammunition while not facing immediate mortal danger. Obviously, the only difference between this incident and the at least tens of other casualties is the fact that this time the casualty was not a Palestinian.

With regard to the urgent issue of providing protection to the Palestinian civilians under Israeli occupation, we call once more upon the Security Council to expedite its consideration of this matter and to take action on the draft resolution presented by the members of the Non-Aligned Movement Caucus who are members of the Security Council (S/2000/1171).

I would be grateful if you would arrange to have the text of this letter and its annex distributed as an official 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 11 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, 4 December through Sunday, 10 December 2000)

Monday, 4 December 2000

Awad Saleh Al-Silmi

Tuesday, 5 December 2000

1. Ramzi Adel Baytnah (15 years old)

2. Abdel Qader Omar Abu Leban

Wednesday, 6 December 2000

Subhi Ahmad Abu Na’na

Thursday, 7 December 2000

1. Mohammed Jouda Abu Assi

2. Zuhair Mustafa Al-Hattab (16 years old)

Friday, 8 December 2000

1. Hassan Ali Shaheen

2. Moutaz Azmi Taylekh (16 years old)

3. Ammar Samir Al-Mashni (16 years old)

4. Mahmoud Rateb Kasem Abu Farha

5. Muhenad Mahmoud Abu Shadouf

6. Ala Abdel Latif Abu Jaber (17 years old)

7. Mahmoud Abdullah Yehia (17 years old)

8. Ziad Mahmoud Sobeh

Saturday, 9 December 2000

Saleem Mohammed Al-Hamaida (13 years old) (died from wounds sustained on 5 December)

Sunday, 10 December 2000

1. Mohammed Yousef Al-Mughrabi

2. Hikmat Abdelhady

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