Illegal Israeli actions in OPT – Letter from Palestine

Identical letters dated 10 January 2001 from the Permanent Observer

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

and the President of the Security Council

In follow-up of my previous letters to you, dated from 29 September 2000 to 3 January 2001 (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-10/41-S/2000/1046; 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; and A/ES-10/54-S/2001/7), it is my regret to inform you that the Israeli occupying forces have continued to shoot and kill Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem. Since my last letter to you on 3 January, seven Palestinians have been killed, bringing the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli occupying forces to a total of 329 martyrs. (The names of the seven martyrs are contained in the annex to the present letter.)

The Palestinian civilians who have been killed by the soldiers of the occupying Power, and sometimes by Israeli settlers, have been killed on roads, at checkpoints, in their cars, and even in their own homes. Among the Palestinians martyred in recent days, were two young Palestinian women. One woman, aged 18 years, was killed in her home in Al-Khalil (Hebron) by Israeli bullets. The young woman’s cousin, also a woman aged 18 years, who was in the house as well, was wounded by the live ammunition. Another Palestinian woman, aged 20 years, was killed by Israeli bullets fired at the car in which she was riding on a road near the town of Nablus. Also in Al-Khalil, a Palestinian man, who had been handcuffed at an Israeli roadblock, was shot by Israeli soldiers. Gaza was also witness to fatal violence during the past week when a 70-year-old Palestinian man was shot and killed.

Although the Government of Israel maintains that its occupying forces do not shoot at Palestinian civilians unless the lives of soldiers are threatened, the killings of the above-mentioned Palestinians, as well as many other Palestinian martyrs, prove that this assertion is completely false. Moreover, as noted in my previous letters, Israel, the occupying Power, clearly pursues a policy of assassination of identified Palestinian civilians, a fact stated by several high-ranking Israeli officials. As such, the occupying Power is obviously engaged, inter alia, in the wilful killing of civilians, in grave violation of international law and international humanitarian law. Indeed, many of the practices of the Israeli occupying forces are tantamount to war crimes against the Palestinian people. Such continuous killing and destruction by the occupying Power are grave reminders of the need for immediate action by the international community to assist and protect Palestinian civilians under Israeli occupation.

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, and of the Security Council.

(Signed) Nasser Al-Kidwa

Ambassador

Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations

Annex to the identical letters dated 10 January 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 security forces  in the

Occupied Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem

(Friday, 5 January through Tuesday, 9 January 2001)

Friday, 5 January 2001

1. Mohammed Mahmoud Abu Hassira

2. Areej Saber Al-Jabali (18 years old)

Sunday, 7 January 2001

Fatma Jalal Abu Jeish

Monday, 8 January 2001

1. Abdel Hamid Ahmed Al-Kharty

2. Mohammed Ahmed Sowf

Tuesday, 9 January 2001

1. Abdel Hameed Abdel Raheem Khanfar

2. Ibrahim Hussein Abu Mughaiseb

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