Illegal Israeli actions in the OPT – Letter from Palestine

Identical letters dated 25 January 2002 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 militantly pursue its policy of extrajudiciary executions compounding the countless war crimes and acts of State terrorism against the Palestinian people for which it must be held responsible.

  Yesterday, 24 January, the Israeli occupying forces assassinated another Palestinian man in Khan Yunis, Gaza by attacking his car with missiles fired from a helicopter gunship. The Israeli occupying forces confirmed the attack and the intention to kill the man, Baker Hamdan. Two other Palestinian men were seriously wounded in that attack as well. This extrajudiciary execution represents the fifth assassination of a Palestinian carried out by the Israeli occupying forces in just the past four days, in addition to other killings, injuries, abductions and destruction incurred by the occupying forces in that time period.

  These incessant, violent actions by the Israeli occupying forces have destroyed the ceasefire and re-ignited the cycle of violence between the two sides, exacerbating the already perilous situation on the ground in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem. It must be reiterated that these actions by the occupying forces reveal the true intentions of the Israeli government of Mr. Ariel Sharon to destroy any potential for the two sides to return to peace process negotiations by ceaselessly attacking the Palestinian people, the Palestinian Authority and the Palestinian infrastructure.

  The international community cannot stand idly by while the Israeli occupying forces continue to carry out this bloody and brutal military campaign against the Palestinian people and the Palestinian leadership. The international community, particularly the Security Council, should uphold its responsibilities with regard to the maintenance of peace and security as the situation on the ground in the Occupied Palestinian Territory worsens and seriously threatens to destabilize the region as a whole. Moreover, it is utterly irresponsible for coverage to continue to be provided by some quarters for such Israeli positions and actions and even Israeli war crimes.

  On another front, I wish to make reference to the assassination yesterday in Beirut, Lebanon, of a former Christian militia leader, Elie Hobeika, who was killed in a car bombing. Lebanese sources have indicated that his murder seems to be linked to information regarding the massacre of hundreds of Palestinian men, women and children in the Sabra and Shatilla refugee camps in 1982 during the Israeli invasion of Lebanon and the responsibility of Mr. Ariel Sharon in this regard. It seems not coincidental that Mr. Hobeika was killed at a time when he has revealed possession of this information to Belgian authorities with regard to the pending case in Belgian court against Mr. Sharon for genocide and crimes against humanity in connection with the Sabra and Shatilla massacre.

  In follow-up to my previous 93 letters to you regarding the continuing crisis in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem, dated from 29 September 2000 to 22 January 2002   (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-10/42-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; A/ES-10/49-S/2000/1154; A/ES-10/50-S/2000/1173; A/ES-10/51-S/2000/1185; A/ES-10/52-S/2000/1215; A/ES-10/53-S/2000/1247; A/ES-10/54-S/2001/7; A/ES-10/55-S/2001/33; A/ES/10/56-S/2001/50, A/ES-10/57-S/2001/101; A/ES-10/58-S/2001/131 A/ES-10/59-S/2001/156;  A/ES-10/60-S/2001/175; A/ES-10/61-S/2001/189; A/ES-10/64-S/2001/209;  A/ES-10/65-S/2001/226; A/ES-10/66-S/2001/239; A/ES-10/67-S/2001/255; A/ES-10/68-S/2001/284; A/ES-10/69-S/2001/295; A/ES-10/70-S/2001/304; A/ES-10/71-S/2001/314; A/ES-10/72-S/2001/332; A/ES-10/75-S/2001/352; A/ES-10/76-S/2001/372; A/ES-10/79-S/2001/418; A/ES-10/80-S/2001/432; A/ES-10/81-S/2001/447; A/ES-10/82-S/2001/463; A/ES-10/83-S/2001/471; A/ES-10/84-S/2001/479; A/ES-10/85-S/2001/486; A/ES-10/86-S/2001/496; A/ES-10/87-S/2001/504; A/ES-10/88-S/2001/508; A/ES-10/89-S/2001/544; A/ES-10/90-S/2001/586; A/ES-10/91-S/2001/605; A/ES-10/92-S/2001/629; A/ES-10/93-S/2001/657; A/ES-10/94-S/2001/669; A/ES-10/95-S/2001/686; A/ES-10/96-S/2001/697; A/ES-10/97-S/2001/708; A/ES-10/98-S/2001/717; A/ES-10/99-S/2001/742; A/ES-10/100-S/2001/754; A/ES-10/101-S/2001/783; A/ES-10/102-S/2001/785; A/ES-10/103-S/2001/798; A/ES-10/104-S/2001/812; A/ES-10/105-S/2001/814; A/ES-10/107-S/2001/821; A/ES-10/108-S/2001/826; A/ES-10/110-S/2001/855; A/ES-10/111-S/2001/880; A/ES-10/112-S/2001/918; A/ES-10/114-S/2001/928; A/ES-10/115-S/2001/932; A/ES-10/116-S/2001/941; A/ES-10/117-S/2001/971; A/ES-10/118-S/2001/989; A/ES-10/119-S/2001/991; A/ES-10/121-S/2001/1007; A/ES-10/122-S/2001/1024; A/ES-10/123-S/2001/1036; A/ES-10/124-S/2001/1084; A/ES-10/125-S/2001/1092; A/ES-10/126-S/2001/1118; A/ES-10/128-S/2001/1149; A/ES-10/129-S/2001/1166; A/ES-10/133-S/2001/1239, A/ES-10/134-S/2001/1261, A/ES-10/136-S/2002/18, A/ES-10/137-S/2002/39, A/ES-10/138-S/2002/48, A/ES-10/139-S/2002/58, A/ES-10/140-S/2002/89,A/ES-10/141-S/2002/95 and A/ES-10/142-S/2002/102), I regret to inform you that since my last letter the Israeli occupying forces have killed four more Palestinians including the above-mentioned extrajudiciary execution. (The names of the martyrs are contained in the annex to the present letter.) These killings raise the total number of Palestinians killed since 28 September 2000 to 860 martyrs.

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

( Signed) Dr. Nasser Al-Kidwa
Ambassador
Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations

Annex to the identical letters dated 25 January 2002 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 occupying forces in the

Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem *
(Thursday, 24 January 2002) 

    Thursday, 24 January 2002

1.  Baker Hamdan

2.   Riyad Sa’idi Ali Al Khatab

3.  Jihad Al Qasas

4.   Ismail Al Saeedi

______________

*   Total number of Palestinian martyrs killed by Israeli occupying forces since 28 September 2000 = 860.