Illegal Israeli actions in OPT – Letter from Palestine

Identical letters dated 20 November 2002 from the Permanent Observer

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

and the President of the Security Council

  The Israeli occupying forces continue to commit additional war crimes in the ongoing bloody military campaign being waged against the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem. Yesterday, during the early evening hours (Palestine time), Israeli occupying forces, backed by helicopter gunships and tanks, stormed the city of Tulkarem, firing missiles and unleashing heavy gunfire on Palestinian homes and property. During the attack, Israeli occupying forces committed an extrajudiciary execution, killing Tarek Mohammed Al-Zaghal, as well as four innocent Palestinian bystanders, including a 13-year-old boy.

  Moreover, on that same day, also in Tulkarem, the Israeli occupying forces shot and killed a 15-year-old boy. These brutal Israeli attacks against the Palestinian inhabitants in Tulkarem resulted not only in the cold-blooded murder of six Palestinian civilians, but also in the injury of at least a dozen more Palestinians. In addition, the occupying forces caused even more damage and destruction to homes and properties in the city.

  At the same time, the Israeli occupying forces continue to commit such acts of destruction against Palestinian homes, properties and infrastructure throughout other areas of the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The city of Al-Khalil, which has been under round-the-clock curfew since 15 November 2002, has particularly been subject to destruction by the occupying forces in recent days. This has included the demolition of homes, leaving many Palestinian families homeless, and ongoing and escalating Israeli settler violence against and harassment of the Palestinian inhabitants of the city.

  The international community cannot continue to stand idly by while the Israeli occupying forces continue to carry out this bloody and brutal military campaign against the Palestinian people under occupation. The international community cannot allow Israel, the occupying Power, to continue to carry out such war crimes, State terrorism and systematic human rights violations against the Palestinian people under its occupation with impunity. Accordingly, we call on the international community to bring an immediate end to all Israeli crimes against the Palestinian people and bring all the perpetrators of these crimes to justice.

  In follow-up to my previous 144 letters to you regarding this continuing crisis in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem, dated from 29 September 2000 to 13 November 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/2000/1206, 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-10/111-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, A/ES-10/142-S/2002/102, A/ES-10/143-S/2002/121, A/ES-10/144-S/2002/142, A/ES-10/145-S/2002/146, A/ES-10/146-S/2002/165, A/ES-10/147-S/2002/175, A/ES-10/148-S/2002/182, A/ES-10/149-S/2002/186, A/ES-10/150-S/2002/214, A/ES-10/151-S/2002/223, A/ES-10/152-S/2002/232, A/ES-10/154-S/2002/242, A/ES-10/155-S/2002/248, A/ES-10/156-S/2002/245, A/ES-10/157-S/2002/253, A/ES-10/158-S/2002/258, A/ES-10/159-S/2002/281, A/ES-10/160-S/2002/307, A/ES-10/161-S/2002/319, A/ES-10/162-S/2002/330, A/ES-10/163-S/2002/340, A/ES-10/164-S/2002/353, A/ES-10/165-S/2002/361, A/ES-10/166-S/2002/370, A/ES-10/167-S/2002/433, A/ES-10/168-S/2002/474, A/ES-10/169-S/2002/495, A/ES-10/173-S/2002/536, A/ES-10/174-S/2002/555, A/ES-10/175-S/2002/610, A/ES-10/176-S/2002/617, A/ES-10/177-S/2002/641, A/ES-10/178-S/2002/650, A/ES-10/179-S/2002/654, A/ES-10/180-S/2002/686, A/ES-10/181-S/2002/697, A/ES-10/182-S/2002/699, A/ES-10/183-S/2002/717, A/ES-10/184-S/2002/738, A/ES-10/185-S/2002/827, A/ES-10/190-S/2002/891, A/ES-10/192-S/2002/976, A/ES-10/193-S/2002/983, A/ES-10/194-S/2002/1052, A/ES-10/195-S/2002/1066, A/ES-10/196-S/2002/1083, A/ES-10/197-S/2002/1094, A/ES-10/198-S/2002/1104, A/ES-10/199-S/2002/1114, A/ES-10/200-S/2002/1144, A/ES-10/201-S/2002/1166 and A/ES-10/202-S/2002/1244), it is my profound regret to inform you that, since my last letter to you, at least 17 Palestinians, including children, have been killed by Israeli occupying forces. This raises the total number of Palestinian martyrs killed since 28 September 2000 to 1,937. (The names of the martyrs that have been identified thus far are contained in the annex to the present letter.)

  I would be grateful if you would arrange to have 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 ) Nasser Al-Kidwa
Ambassador
Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations

    Annex to the identical letters dated 20 November 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*
(Wednesday, 13 November, through Tuesday, 19 November 2002)

    Wednesday, 13 November 2002

  Hamed Al-Masri (13 years old) (not included in our letter dated 13 November 2002)

    Thursday, 14 November 2002

1.  Jalal Mohammed Oweejan (17 years old)
2.   Khaled Harb Abu Hilal

   Friday, 15 November 2002

 Omran Alshileh (16 years old)

    Saturday, 16 November 2002

1.  Samar Mahmoud Mohamed Shar’ab
2.  Mahmoud Abbas Obeid
3.  Ibrahim Bassaam Al-Sa’edi (17 years old)

    Sunday, 17 November 2002

1.  Mousa Radi Al-Mahareek
2.  Akram Abdel Mohsen Al-Hunainy
3.  Wal’a Hachem Dawo’od Suroor

    Monday, 18 November 2002

  Mohamed Abdallah Yussef Abdel Ghany

    Tuesday, 19 November 2002

1.  Ehab Al-Zukleh (13 years old)
2.  Tarek Mohammed Al-Zaghal
3.  Ziad Masharqi
4.  Shaban Budeir
5.  Ahmed Jaiosy
6.  Amr Qudsi (15 years old)

______________________________

*The total number of Palestinian martyrs killed by Israeli occupying forces since 28 September  is 1,937.

_________