Illegal Israeli actions in OPT – Letter from Palestine

Identical letters dated 22 March 2006 from the Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council

  Israel, the occupying Power, continues to perpetrate systematic human rights violations against the Palestinian people living under its occupation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, launching military assaults and raids against civilian areas. With the persistence of this Israeli military campaign, the casualties and the destruction being endured by the Palestinian people continue to mount dramatically.

  Since Thursday, 9 March 2006, Israeli occupying forces have conducted 34 military incursions into Palestinian cities, towns, refugee camps and villages. These Israeli incursions have resulted in the killing and injury of Palestinian civilians, including a Palestinian girl 9 years of age, as well as vast destruction to Palestinian property and agricultural land. Moreover, over 65 Palestinian civilians, including six children, were arbitrarily detained and imprisoned by Israeli occupying forces during this time frame.

  Today, Israel, the occupying Power, committed yet another extrajudicial execution in grave breach of international law, including international humanitarian law. During the early morning hours (Palestine time), Israeli occupying forces, backed by a number of military tanks, entered Aqbat Jaber camp and killed Ramadan Mtair. Israeli occupying forces entered the house of Mtair, killed him while he was in his room and proceeded to leave. Mtair was taken to the nearby Jericho hospital, but arrived dead due to the numerous bullet wounds he sustained. In addition, on Friday, 17 March 2006, a Palestinian girl 9 years of age, Akbar Zaid, was killed when an undercover Israeli border policeman fatally shot her. Zaid was travelling with her aunt in a taxi in the village of Al-Yaamoun, northwest of Jenin, when a bullet hit her in the head, killing her instantly. Her aunt was also wounded by live Israeli ammunition. Furthermore, on Wednesday, 15 March 2006, Israeli occupying forces killed Khaled Sa’id Al-Hubal in a village near Ramallah. Al-Hubal was killed by Israeli occupying forces that were patrolling the area near its illegal expansionist Wall. They opened fire on Al-Hubal, firing several live bullets to the upper part of his body, killing him instantaneously.

    In addition to the killings of Palestinian civilians, the situation caused by the occupying Power’s blockade in the Gaza Strip has created a humanitarian catastrophe. The deterioration in economic and social conditions, resulting from the total closure imposed by the Israeli occupying forces, has resulted in a food and health crisis for the 1.5 million Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip. The international community must compel Israel, the occupying Power, to end its policy of collective punishment on the entire civilian Palestinian population and ensure that the occupying Power comply with its obligations under the Fourth Geneva Convention, which includes, inter alia, allowing the immediate flow of medicines and food into the Gaza Strip.

  We once again reiterate the urgent need for the international community to take action to address all of the above-mentioned serious violations and grave breaches of international law and international humanitarian law being committed by the occupying Power against the Palestinian people. The international community must not remain silent and must take all measures to bring an end to the continuing Israeli crimes against the Palestinian people and to ensure Israel’s compliance with international law and with its obligations as an occupying Power.

  The present letter is in follow-up to our previous 235 letters to you regarding the ongoing crisis in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, since 28 September 2000. Those letters, dated from 29 September 2000 (A/55/432-S/2000/921) to 14 March 2006 (A/ES-10/324-S/2006/165) 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 seven more Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli occupying forces, raising the total number of martyrs killed since September 2000 to 3,793. (The names of the martyrs that have been identified are listed in the annex to the present letter.)

  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 Security Council and the tenth emergency special session of the General Assembly, under agenda item 5.

(Signed) Ryad Mansour 

Ambassador

Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations

 Annex to the identical letters dated 22 March 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 * (Sunday, 12 March to Wednesday, 22 March, 2006)

    Sunday, 12 March 2006

1.   Montacir Ayed Abu Zahra (12 years old)

   Tuesday, 14 March 2006

1.   Mohammad Abu Shawish

2.  Ibrahim Abu Ainain

    Wednesday, 15 March 2006

1.  Khaled Sa’id Al-Hubal 

    Friday, 17 March 2006

1.  Akabar Zaid (9 years old)

    Saturday, 18 March 2006

1.  Ibrahim Mohamad Hamad 

    Wednesday, 22 March 2006

1.  Ramadan Mohammad Mtair 

*   The total number of Palestinian martyrs killed by the Israeli occupying forces since 28 September 2000 is 3,793.

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