Illegal Israeli actions in OPT – Letter from Palestine

Identical letters dated 21 February 2006 from the Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council

  Israel, the occupying Power, has been intensifying its military campaign against the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem. This has included, in particular, an escalation of military raids and attacks, resulting in the killing of Palestinians, including extrajudicial killings, and inflicting injury on many other innocent Palestinian civilians. The continuation by Israel, the occupying Power, of its illegal policies and practices against the Palestinian people under its occupation continues to seriously undermine efforts aimed at calming the situation on the ground.

  Over the past week, Israeli occupying forces have killed at least nine Palestinian civilians. On Sunday, 19 February 2006, Israeli occupying forces killed two Palestinians in the densely populated Gaza Strip. Israeli helicopter gunships fired missiles at a car transporting Bilal Hamada Al Najar, 18 years old, from Khazza’a town near Khan Younis, and Usama Fawzi Breiss, from the Rafah refugee camp, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. The bodies of the deceased were severely mutilated. In addition, at least four bystanders were wounded as a result of the assault.

  Also on Sunday, Israeli occupying forces carried out a large-scale raid in the Balata refugee camp near the West Bank town of Nablus. The raid included around 50 armoured jeeps, bulldozers and helicopter gunships. As a result, Ibrahim Al-Sheikh Ali and Mohammad Natour, both 17 years old, were killed by live ammunition by Israeli occupying forces. At least 12 other Palestinians were also injured, several of them critically.

  The continuation of aggression committed by the Israeli occupying forces against the Palestinian people, in particular the killing of the two Palestinian youths mentioned above, should be condemned by the international community. Israel, the occupying Power, will only continue to commit its systematic human rights violations as long as it continues to believe it can act against the Palestinian people under its occupation with impunity. The international community must continue to act to bring an end to all Israeli actions against the Palestinian people and ensure Israel’s compliance with international law and with its obligations as an occupying Power.

  This letter is in follow-up to our previous 231 letters to you regarding the ongoing crisis in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, since 28 September 2000. These letters, dated from 29 September 2000 (A/55/432-S/2000/921) to 7 February 2006 (A/ES-10/317-S/2006/83) constitute a basic record of the crimes committed by Israel, the occupying Power, against the Palestinian people since September 2000. For all of these war crimes, State terrorism and systematic human rights violations committed against the Palestinian people, Israel, the occupying Power, must be held accountable and the perpetrators must be brought to justice.

  Accordingly, in follow-up to the above-mentioned letters, it is my profound regret to inform you that, since our letter to you dated 7 February 2006, at least 16 more Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli occupying forces, including 5 Palestinians under the age of 18, raising the total number of martyrs killed since September 2000 to 3,790. (The names of the martyrs that have been identified are listed in the annex to the present letter.)

  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 Security Council and the tenth emergency special session of the General Assembly, under agenda item 5.

(Signed ) Riyad Mansour

Ambassador

Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations

Annex to the identical letters dated 21 February 206 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 the Israeli occupying forces in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem *

(Wednesday, 8 February, to Monday, 20 February 2006)

    Wednesday, 8 February 2006

1.   Murad Abdelhamid Al-Hoor

2.  Idriss Zakariya Al-Sharif

    Thursday, 9 February 2006

1.   Marwane Ahmad Ammar

2.  Mohammad Riyad Ramadan 

3.   Tarek Ishake Abu-Harbeed

    Friday, 10 February 2006

1.  Youssef Hilal Badha 

2.   Ahmed Hilal Badha

    Monday, 13 February 2006

Nayfa Mohamad Abu Mossaid

    Wednesday, 15 February 2006

1.   Mojahid Amin Samara (15 years old)

2.  Amal Hamad Al-Birawi 

    Friday, 17 February 2006

Mohammad Kamel Al-Attawna (17 years old)

    Sunday, 19 February 2006

1.   Bilal Hamada Al-Najar (18 years old)

2.  Usama Fawzi Breiss

3.   Ibrahim Al-Sheikh Ali (17 years old)

4.  Mohammad Natour (17 years old)

    Monday, 20 February 2006

Ahmad Mohammad Nayef Abu Charakh 

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*   The total number of Palestinian martyrs killed by the Israeli occupying forces since 28 September 2000 is 3,790.

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