Situation in the Palestinian refugee camps – PLO letter – Letter from Tunisia

REPORT OF THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE ISRAELI PRACTICES

AFFECTING THE HUMAN RIGHTS OF THE POPULATION

OF THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES

UNITED NATIONS RELIEF AND WORKS AGENCY

FOR PALESTINE REFUGEES IN THE NEAR EAST

Letter dated 18 July 1986 from the Deputy Permanent Representative of

Tunisia to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General

 In my capacity as Chairman of the Arab Group for the month of July 1986, I have the honour to transmit herewith a letter dated 16 July 1986 addressed to you by Mr. Riyad Mansour, Deputy Permanent Observer for the Palestine Liberation Organization to the United Nations.

I should be grateful if you would have this letter circulated as a document of the General Assembly under items 73 and 77 of the provisional agenda.

(Signed)  Abdelmajid KAROUI

Deputy Permanent Representative

of Tunisia to the United Nations

Chairman of the Group of Arab States

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ANNEX

Letter dated 16 July 1986 from the Deputy Permanent Observer of the

Palestine Liberation Organization to the United Nations

addressed to the Secretary-General

I am instructed by Yasser Arafat, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, to bring the following to your urgent attention:

On Thursday, 10 July 1986, the Israeli airforce carried out several sorties against Bin El-Helweh Palestinian refugee camp in South Lebanon. Those massive bombing raids resulted in several children and adults being killed or injured.

Over the past two weeks the major ports of Sidon and Tyre have been besieged by Israeli naval vessels, and there is an imminent threat of an Israeli attack by sea and by units of the Israeli occupation army in South Lebanon, against Palestinian refugee camps in the area.

In the early hours of Monday, 14 July 1986, Palestinians in the Beirut area came under attack from the Israeli airforce, which carried out several bombing sorties.  An undetermined number of civilians were killed or injured.  As in the bombing of Ein El-Helweh there is massive property damage.

In both attacks time-bombs were also dropped by the Israeli airforce to maximize civilian casualties.

These latest attacks against Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon come at a time when Israeli occupation forces are escalating their "iron-fist" policy against Palestinians in the Israeli occupied Palestinian territories.

It is clear that Tel Aviv is again attempting to break the will and steadfastness of Palestinians not only in the Occupied homeland but also in the diaspora.  The Israeli military authorities in an attempt to silence opposition to Israeli military occupation closed down two Palestinian publications in the Israeli occupied Palestinian territories this week, the Arabic daily Al-Mithak and the weekly Al-Ahd.

In drawing your attention to the gravely worsening situation of the Palestinians in the Israeli occupied Palestinian territories and in the refugee camps in Lebanon, I am requested by Chairman Arafat to call upon your good offices to take immediate and appropriate action to put an end to this intolerable and inhuman situation.

(Signed) Riyad MANSOUR

Deputy Permanent Observer

Chargé d'affaires, a.i.

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