Illegal Israeli actions in OPT – Letter from Palestine

Identical letters dated 3 March 2004 from the Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council

  As it persists with the violent and bloody military campaign it has been incessantly waging in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, Israel, the occupying Power, continues to commit extrajudicial killings of Palestinian civilians in grave breach of international law, including international humanitarian law and human rights law. Today, the Israeli occupying forces fired air-to-land missiles at a car travelling on a road in the Gaza Strip, killing the three Palestinian men inside the car. The occupying Power affirmed that this missile attack was intended as a targeted killing of “militants”. Today’s attack comes on the heels of a similar attack carried out by the occupying forces on Saturday, 28 February 2004, in which missiles were also fired at a car in the Gaza Strip, killing three other Palestinian men.

  Not only are such criminal actions by the occupying Power against the Palestinian civilian population continuing they are actually being escalated. Indeed, the Chief of Staff of the Israeli army, General Moshe Yaalon, affirmed yesterday the occupying Power’s intentions to intensify attacks, including targeted killings, against Palestinians. He was quoted as stating, inter alia, “In this kind of situation, attack is the best form of defense”. Moreover, Israeli army radio reported that orders had been given to “ eliminate as many terrorists as possible”.

  It is starkly apparent that Israel, the occupying Power, is intentionally, deliberately and calculatedly escalating such attacks against the Palestinian population in an attempt to ignite the situation on the ground in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The daily actions of the occupying forces, including the killing and wounding of civilians, the continued confiscation of land, the destruction of property and the construction of the Wall, are clearly intended to aggravate the situation, inflame tensions and instigate a violent Palestinian response. Indeed, following the extrajudicial killings carried out today and on Saturday there have been repeated calls for revenge against the occupying Power by many within the Palestinian populace. It is unquestionable that these Israeli policies and practices aim to continue fueling the vicious cycle of violence between the two sides to the preclusion of any peace initiative or peace efforts, thus subverting any potential for dialogue between the two sides and a return to negotiations. Only by perpetuating the tumultuous situation on the ground and undermining all efforts to resume the peace process, can the current Israeli government, under the premiership of Mr. Sharon, facilitate the pursuit of its dangerous plans fo r imposing an unjust unilateral settlement on the Palestinian people. 

  This letter is in follow-up to our previous 181 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 27 February 2004 (A/ES-10/257-S/2004/167), constitute a basic record of the crimes committed by the Israeli occupying forces 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 my last letter to you five days ago, at least 12 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli occupying forces, raising the total number of martyrs killed since September 2003 to 2,789 Palestinians. (The names of the martyrs that have been identified are contained 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 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 3 March 2004 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*
(Saturday, 28 February 2004, to Wednesday, 3 March 2004)

    Saturday, 28 February 2004

1.  Mahmoud Abdel Fatah Joudeh

2.  Ayman Shabaan Al-Dahdouh

3.  Amin Hamdan Al-Dahdouh 

    Sunday, 29 February 2004

1.  Mohammed Zuheir Mahmoud Oweis

2.  Riyad Said Abu Shalal

   Monday, 1 March 2004

1.  Zeibeh Jamil Ayman Ady

2.   Mohammed Mahmoud Ahmed Abu Rajab

   Wednesday, 3 March 2004

1.  Quies Aref Ofeh (18 years old)

2.   Mohamed Dawood Badwan (died from wounds sustained on 26 February 2004) 

3.   Ibrahim Al-Deiry

4.  Amar Hassan

5.   Terad Al-Jimaly

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 *   The total number of Palestinian martyrs killed by Israeli occupying forces since 28 September 2000 is 2,789.

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