Illegal Israeli actions in OPT – Letter from Palestine

Identical letters dated 16 October 2001 from the Permanent Observer

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

and the President of the Security Council

  At dawn on Sunday, 14 October 2001 (Palestine time), Israeli occupying forces assassinated Mr. Abdel Rahman Hammad in the town of Qalqilya while he stood on the roof of his home after prayers. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, while admitting to what he called “liquidating” the person, said that this was “not the first, nor the last”, of such operations. The Prime Minister thus publicly admitted responsibility for yet another war crime committed by the occupying Power.

  Also on Sunday, Israeli occupying forces withdrew from the parts of Al-Khalil (Hebron) they had reoccupied for more than 10 days, but only after causing terror, destruction and death in that part of the city. The chief of staff of the Israeli army took an unusual and inappropriate step by saying in a statement that he “opposes the evacuation of the El-Sheikh and Abu Sneineh districts as well as measures to ease the blockade, which could threaten the security of Israeli citizens and soldiers”. This is the same chief of staff, which we have indicated in some of our previous letters to you, who may have a special responsibility, along with several other Israeli officials, for the many war crimes and atrocities committed against the Palestinian people. The statement also reflects the strong opposition by some influential army officers and government officials against any improvement of the situation on the ground.

  Another assassination was committed yesterday, 15 October 2001, by Israeli occupying forces, who killed Mr. Mohammed Marshood in the city of Nablus. The resumption of the practice and policy of assassination by Israel, the occupying Power, in addition to being a war crime, seems to aim at forcing yet another explosion of the situation on the ground. This must be ceased immediately and the Israeli Government must be held responsible.

  I am writing this letter in follow-up to our previous 72 letters addressed to you regarding this grave and ongoing situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem, dated from 29 September 2000 to 5 October 2001 (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 and 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; and A/ES-10/116-S/2001/941). Since our last letter to you, on 5 October 2001, Israeli occupying forces have brutally killed 8 more Palestinians, including the martyrs mentioned above, bringing the total number of Palestinian martyrs to 682. (The names of the martyrs are contained in the annex to the present letter.) In addition, the number of Palestinians injured by the fire and action of the Israeli occupying forces continues to rise.

  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) Nasser Al-Kidwa
Ambassador
Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations

Annex to the identical letters dated 16 October 2001 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 *

(Saturday, 6 October, through Monday, 15 October 2001)

    Saturday, 6 October 2001

1.  Hamzah Salem Al-Qawasmi 

2.   Amjad Ibrahim Al-Qawasmi

   Sunday, 7 October 2001

Ra’ed Bahjat Al-Sharif

    Monday, 8 October 2001

Abdel Rahman Ahmed Abu Areeban

    Wednesday, 10 October 2001

Mohammed Saleh Abu Al-Rous

    Thursday, 11 October 2001

Hani Mustafa Rawajbah

   Sunday, 14 October 2001

Abdel Rahman Hammad

   Monday, 15 October 2001

Mohammed Marshood

_____________

 *   Total number of Palestinian martyrs killed by Israeli occupying forces since 28 September 2000 is 682.