Illegal Israeli actions in OPT – Letter from Palestine

Identical letters dated 26 September 2005 from the Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General and to the President of the Security Council

  Over the past couple of days, 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 overnight air raids and attacks in the Gaza Strip, which has involved the extrajudicial execution of four Palestinians by the Israeli occupying forces in grave breach of international law, including international humanitarian law and human rights law.

  Today’s air strikes in Gaza City, as well as in the southern town of Rafah and Khan Yunis, which knocked out power and caused extensive damage, come on the heels of two other extrajudicial executions in the Gaza Strip. The first illegal extrajudicial execution occurred on Saturday, 24 September 2005, in which the Israeli occupying forces fired missiles from an Israeli warplane at a civilian car, instantly killing two Palestinians and injuring innocent bystanders. This was followed by yet another extrajudicial execution, committed yesterday evening, of two more Palestinians who were also killed in their vehicle as a result of fired Israeli missiles.

  Moreover, Israeli warplanes shot missiles at Al-Akram school yesterday, which is situated in the densely populated Tufah neighbourhood, causing destruction to the school and injuring at least 15 Palestinians, many of them children. In addition to such military attacks, the Israeli occupying forces have launched an extensive campaign in which they have arrested and detained more than 200 Palestinian civilians in grave violation of international law. It is important to mention that a number of those arrested are declared candidates intending to run in the local Palestinian elections. Therefore, such illegal Israeli measures are also a deliberate interference in the internal affairs of the Palestinian people, as well as a disruption of the Palestinian democratic election process.

  It seems apparent that Israel, the occupying Power, is intentionally and aggressively escalating its attacks against the Palestinian civilian population in an attempt to ignite the situation on the ground in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Indeed, following the extrajudicial executions carried out yesterday and on Saturday there have been repeated calls for revenge against the occupying Power by many within the Palestinian population. It is unquestionable that these Israeli policies and practices will only continue to fuel the vicious cycle of violence between the two sides, undermining any peace initiative or peace efforts and thus sabotaging any potential for dialogue between the two sides and a real resumption of negotiations.

  The Palestinian leadership calls upon the international community to take measures to address the current situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, as a result of the ongoing and blatant aggressions being committed by Israel, the occupying Power, against the Palestinian people. We continue to express our strongest hopes that the necessary measures will be taken in this regard.

  The present letter is in follow-up to our previous 220 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 18 August 2005 (A/ES-10/305-S/2005/530), 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.

  I would be grateful if you would arrange to have the text of the present letter distributed as a document of the tenth emergency special session of the General Assembly, under agenda item 5, and of the Security Council.

(Signed) Dr. Riyad Mansour 

Ambassador

Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations

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