Situation in the OPT – Letter from Palestine

Letter dated 24 December 1992 from the Permanent Observer of Palestine

to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General

I am instructed by the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, which retains the powers and responsibilities of the Provisional Government of Palestine, to bring the following to your immediate attention.

The situation in the occupied Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem, continues to deteriorate at a very alarming pace as a result of increasingly repressive measures by Israel, the occupying Power, against the Palestinian people there.  This has been occurring parallel to Israel's mass deportation of Palestinian civilians on 17 December 1992.  The Gaza Strip, in particular, has been devastated by a succession of violent acts committed by the Israeli military.  In addition to the seven Palestinians killed by Israeli soldiers in Gaza on 19 December 1992, as I informed you in my letter dated 21/December/1992,/1/ two young brothers, Mohammad Khamis Abdin and Esmail/Khamis/Abdin, ages 22 and 20, were killed by live ammunition on 23/December/1992 in Khan Yunis.  Eighty Palestinian civilians were also wounded.  Gaza has been under siege for a long time now, and this has resulted in severe shortages of foodstuffs, water and essential medicines.  It has been reported that hunger has become widespread in the area.

On another front we are following, with satisfaction, the steps that have been taken by Your Excellency to implement Security Council resolution 799/(1992), and we look forward to seeing the resolution fully implemented very soon.  Nevertheless, we find it imperative to bring to your attention the situation mentioned above and to reiterate our position, as on previous occasions, that the international community should meet its responsibilities towards the Palestinian people and that the United Nations must provide immediate protection for our people living under occupation.

I should be grateful if you would arrange to have the text of this letter distributed as an official document of the General Assembly, under items 30, 35, 73 and 74, and of the Security Council.

(Signed)  Dr. Nasser AL-KIDWA

Permanent Observer of Palestine

to the United Nations

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