Israeli practices/Attacks across the Blue Line – Letter from Tunisia, PLO

LETTER DATED 28 APRIL 1981 FROM THE PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF TUNISIA TO HE UNITED NATIONS ADDRESSED TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL

I have the honour to transmit to you herewith a letter from the Permanent Observer of the Palestine Liberation Organization to the United Nations.  I request you to have it circulated as a Security Council document.

(Signed) Taieb SLIM

Ambassador

Permanent Representative

Annex

Letter dated 27 April 1981 from the Permanent Observer of the Palestine Liberation Organization to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council

I am instructed by Chairman Yasser Arafat to bring the following to your urgent attention and through you to the members of the Security Council. For the past few weeks Israeli attacks have both intensified and escalated to a genocidal level. We have already communicated these developments to His Excellency, the Secretary-General Dr. Kurt Waldheim.

At 1700 hrs Beirut time today, 27 April 1981, Israeli war planes carried out savage attacks on the refugee camps of Bourj Al-Shamali, Abbasiyah, Pahal, fashidiyah and Miya Miya. They also bombarded the areas of Rasta, Wadi Kaharba, Sidon, Arab Sanim and Saadiyat. Additionally the areas of Tyre and Jarmak were subjected to heavy artillery shelling.

It is important to mention that all of these shelled and bombed areas are areas where civilians become victims, and today's attacks are but a continuation of attacks reported earlier.

The intensive bombing attacks yesterday on the Nabatiyah and Sidon regions left in their wake 18 civilians dead and over 30 seriously wounded. In the Sidon area Hilaliya, Mar Plias and Miya Miya camp were badly hit as well as Smaile and Wadi Al-Zeina in the north. In the Nabatiya area, Al-Jarmak, Arab Sanim, Aishiya, Wadi Al.-Akhdar and Tallat Sharhabil were all seriously hit.

Most of the wounded in the Nabatiyah area could not be moved to hospitals in the coastal region for intensive medical care, as Israeli artillery was concentrating heavy bombardment on the Nabatiyah-Sidon road until late last night. It is believed that there are additional casualties in the Nabatiyah area which have not yet been counted.

Sidon alone has been hit five times in the past 12 days resulting in an enormous loss of life – 75 known dead and over 200 seriously wounded. Virtually all these casualties were civilians.

Chairman Arafat wishes to state that our forces have and are exercising the utmost restraint. However, there is a limit to our patience. He also wishes to make it clear that we are not responsible for the exacerbation in the situation. Chairman Arafat calls upon the Security Council to take immediate and effective action to put an end to these criminal and genocidal Israeli attacks.

Chairman Arafat wishes to state that the Government of the United States is equally responsible, in fact is an accomplice in these attacks through its supply of war material to the Zionist aggressors in Tel Aviv, and by its moral support to these attacks. This moral support was most eloquently expressed by Mr. Richard Allen, the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, who “justified” Israeli aggression under the pretext of “hot pursuit”. Mr. Allen disingenuously declared “there is no question that the United States must identify the Palestine Liberation Organization as a terrorist organization” and that there is “ample justification for taking action against acts of terrorism”.

We would reiterate that this disingenuous attitude of the Government of the United States is but blatant support and encouragement to the Israelis to pursue and implement their genocidal plans to eliminate the Palestinian people in refugee camps in south Lebanon.

(Signed) Zehdi Labib TERZI

Permanent Observer

* *** *