Letter dated 14 December 1990 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 has the powers and responsibilities of the Provisional Government of Palestine, to bring the following to your immediate attention:
3 September 1990 marked the one thousandth day of the intifadah: one thousand days of resistance by the Palestinian people against the Israeli occupation of the territory of the State of Palestine, including Jerusalem. It is also a thousand days of suffering, pain, denial, through the gross violations by the occupying Power, Israel, of the human rights of the Palestinian people.
Such violations have reached the following toll throughout the intifadah, beginning 9 December 1987 up till the end of July 1990.
– Killings of unarmed Palestinian men, women and children total 1,300, of whom 300 were children under the age of 16 years;
– Injuries have reached 97,350 Palestinians;
– Imprisonment and detentions have reached 85,000;
– Tear-gas related miscarriages, 7,000;
– Expulsions of 59 + 256 families;
– Confiscation of land: 10,000 dunums in 1988; 70,000 dunums in 1989;
– Uprooting of fruit trees: 190,000 trees.
In addition, the hampering of the Palestinian education system, by the continuing closure of Palestinian schools and universities and most recently, on 5 September 1990, the Israeli occupying Power ordered all schools to be surrounded with barbed wire. The stealing of water resources denying the Palestinians access to sufficient amounts of water, and the high taxation and tax raids are still continuing practices.
Most recently, and just in the past few months, Israel, the occupying Power, continues to escalate its aggression and violence at an alarming rate. The Palestinians living under Israeli occupation are being subjected to an increase in land confiscations. In the month of June alone 210,000 dunums of land were confiscated from two villages in the Khalil and Bethlehem areas. This is three times more than all land confiscated in the entire occupied territories in 1980. This recent dramatic increase in confiscation appears to be in line with the new Israeli Government's plan for a Greater "Eretz Israel".
Furthermore, for three months the village of Azmout/Nablus has suffered from restrictions on its water supply. Settlers from nearby Elon Mereh have cut off supply at one of the valves in the main pipe leading to the village. The village of Za'atra/Bethlehem suffered a similar disruption of its water supply, and as for Elizariyeh/Jerusalem its water supply was reduced by 75 per cent at one point during the month of July.
On 10 September 1990, Israel, the occupying Power, committed the following through its aggressive and violent actions against the Palestinians. It is worth noting that the list of injured Palestinians is the outcome of only one day of violence and beatings by Israeli soldiers:
In Jabalia Camp:
– Mouyasser Alizleh, 38 years old, suffered a broken spine;
– Mouhamed Abu Zaiter, 19 years, suffered a broken right arm;
– Khalal Al-Rahim, 13 years, and Fakhair Abu Al-Ibs, 12 years, both suffered severe bruises;
– Zahieh Ahmad Yacoub, 78 years, miscarried in her first trimester; of pregnancy as a result of beatings.
In Shati' Camp:
– Naiman Al-Bayed, 45 years, and Hiba Abu Naji, 8 years, suffered severe injuries as a result of beatings.
In Gaza City:
– Ala Shakour, 13 years
– Ahmed Farineh, 10 years
– Samara Al-Deiry, 14 years
– Tawfiq Al-Deiry, 45 years
– Mouhamed Koueid, 14 years
– Bassam Thaher, 18 years
– Iman Bassal, 10 years
All of the above suffered broken bones as a result of beatings;
– Sabiha Mohamed, 22 years, miscarried in her first trimester of pregnancy.
A total of 25 additional Palestinians were injured as a result of beatings in Bureij Camp and Khan Younis Camp, also during the same day.
The world community has time and time again called upon Israel, the occupying Power, to desist from its illegal actions and to respect the internationally reconciled principles of human rights and international law. Yet Israel persists its violations by continuing to occupy the Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem.
Palestine calls upon the Secretary-General and the Security Council of the United Nations to take all appropriate and necessary measures to bring an end to the violent and illegal actions of Israel as well as to ensure respect for the Charter of the United Nations.
Such an end could be achieved only by the termination of Israeli occupation and withdrawal of troops and the free exercise of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, primarily the right to self-determination.
At this point in time, Palestine asserts that the Security Council is duty bound to facilitate the convening of the International Peace Conference on the Middle East, in conformity with the relevant resolutions of the General Assembly.
I should be grateful if you would arrange to have the text of the present letter circulated as an official document of the General Assembly, under items 23, 35 and 77 of the provisional agenda, and of the Security Council.
(Signed) Zuhdi Labib TERZI
Permanent Observer of Palestine
