Illegal Israeli actions in OPT – Letter from Palestine

Identical letters dated 1 February 2002 from the Permanent Observer

of Palestine to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General

and the President of the Security Council

  In an interview published on Thursday, 31 January 2002, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said that Israel should have killed the Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat 20 years ago in Beirut when the city was under Israeli siege. Mr. Sharon said, “In principle, I am sorry that we did not liquidate him.” This dangerous and condemnable statement comes while Israeli occupying forces continue to impose a siege on the headquarters of President Arafat on top of the siege imposed on the whole Palestinian population in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem. According to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, 72 permanent Israeli checkpoints exist in the West Bank and 9 exist in the Gaza Strip. This is apart from the virtual isolation of many Palestinian cities, villages and refugee camps.

  Today, the Israeli Minister of Tourism, Benny Elon, threatened to “ transfer” the Palestinians. Mr. Elon was quoted as saying, “We must not fear bringing up again the idea of a transfer and of open discussion of the various possibilities that it offers.” Mr. Elon, his predecessor and their party openly advocate such racist policies of ethnic cleansing and transfer of the Palestinian people.

  On the other hand, Israel continues with its illegal actions in and around occupied East Jerusalem. The office of the Prime Minister issued a statement on implementing a plan to “ring Jerusalem”. The plan will include trenches, fences, blockades and other measures. It will broaden the sphere of the illegally enlarged municipal boundary to include additional adjacent areas in the West Bank, such as Abu Dis, to serve as a “buffer zone”. At the same time, Israel, the occupying Power, continues with its settlement activities in the city and other illegal actions in places like Bab Al-Amoud and Burj Al-Laqlaq. All of this, of course, is aimed at enforcing the judaization of the city and at preventing the establishment of the capital of Palestine in East Jerusalem.

  All of the above present additional evidence of the policies of Ariel Sharon and his Government, which are aimed at destroying any potential for peace and destroying the Palestinian Authority along with whatever is left of the Palestinian infrastructure. The international community must stand up to such Israeli policies and positions and must put an end to Israeli war crimes, State terrorism and other atrocities committed against the Palestinian people.

  In follow-up to my previous 94 letters to you regarding the Israeli bloody military campaign 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 eight more Palestinians. (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 868 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 1 February 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*

(Friday, 25 January through Thursday, 31 January 2002)

   Friday, 25 January 2002

1.  Samer Kasbah (16 years old) (died from wounds sustained earlier) 

2.   Ra’ed Fayez Al-Agha

3.  Ahmed Abdelwahab Abdelhady

4.  Akram Sadeq Barbakh (died from wounds sustained earlier)

    Saturday, 26 January 2002

Nassar Hassan Abu Salim

   Sunday, 27 January 2002

Ayoub Muhsen Hameed

   Thursday, 31 January 2002

Tamer Mohammed Hassan Kashour (17 years old) (died from wounds sustained earlier)

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*The total number of Palestinian martyrs killed by Israeli occupying forces since 28 September 2002 is 868.