Illegal Israeli actions in OPT – Letter from Palestine

Identical letters dated 22 March 2004 from the Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council

  Committing yet another war crime, Israel, the occupying Power, assassinated Sheikh Ahmed Yassin in Gaza City. Helicopter gunships fired three missiles at a car carrying the quadriplegic Sheikh as he left a mosque near his home after dawn prayers, killing him instantly along with six other Palestinians. In addition, more than 15 people, including children, were wounded as a result of the attack, several of them critically. In other military attacks today, Israeli occupying forces killed five other Palestinians throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory, some of whom had been gathered in demonstrations against the assassination.

  Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon made a statement after the extrajudicial execution of Sheikh Yassin indicating that he was personally involved, as he oversaw the entire operation, receiving constant updates from Israeli occupying forces. Prime Minister Sharon also stated that the illegal practice of extrajudicial executions would continue.

  The Palestinian leadership strongly condemned this criminal and insane act and warned of the serious consequences. We note in this regard the broad and overwhelming condemnation by the international community of this crime in specific and of the ongoing practice of committing extrajudicial executions against the Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem.

  In this regard, we call on the United Nations Security Council to take specific measures to condemn the criminal act and to ensure the cessation by Israel, the occupying Power, of extrajudicial executions and other illegal policies and practices being committed against the Palestinian people.

  The present letter is in follow-up to our previous 185 letters addressed 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 17 March 2004 (A/ES-10/261-S/2004/216), 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, I regret to inform you that, since my last letter to you, at least 23 Palestinians, including children, have been killed by the Israeli occupying forces, raising the total number of martyrs killed since September 2000 to 2,858 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 22 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 *

(Thursday, 18 March 2004, to Monday, 22 March 2004)

   Thursday, 18 March 2004

Adly Mohammed Abu Taha (from wounds sustained on 17 March 2004)

    Friday, 19 March 2004

Ayman Abdel Karim Abu Hashim (from wounds sustained on 17 March 2004) 

    Saturday, 20 March 2004

1.   Fatma Mohammed Al-Jallad (8 years old, from wounds sustained on 19 March 2004)

2.  Mohammed Ashtewi Saleh Abu Muhsen (17 years old)

   Sunday, 21 March 2004

1.  Ibrahim Khalil Al-Hew (from wounds sustained on 2 March 2004) 

2.   Thonani Alyan Qudeh

3.  Bassem Salem Salman Qudeh

4.  Sana’ Abdel Hady Qudeh

5.  Ra’fat Saleh Abu Toema

6.  Abdel Rahman Zaki Al-Derbasi

   Monday, 22 March 2004

1.  Sheikh Ahmed Ismail Yassin

2.  Amir Ahmed Abdel Aal 

3.   Mu’emen Al-Yazouri

4.  Rateb Abdel Rahman Al-Aloul

5.  Khamis Mushtahi

6.  Khalil Abdallah Abu Jyab 

7.   Ayoub Attallah

8.  Osama Al-Afandi

9.   Ahmed Khalil Ghabayen

10.   Riyad Mimr Abu Aya Zu’arab

11.   Musa’b Hussein Al-Ghalban (13 years old)

12.   Mohammed Rawhi Al-Dosh

13.   Mohammed Adel Abdel Rahman Abu Halimeh

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 *   The total number of Palestinian martyrs killed by Israeli occupying forces since 28 September 2000 is 2,858.

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