Illegal Israeli actions in OPT – Letter from Palestine

Identical letters dated 26 April 2001 from the Permanent Observer

of Palestine to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General

and the President of the Security Council

It is my regret to inform you that the brutal Israeli military campaign being waged against the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem, continues. This military campaign against the Palestinian civilians living under Israeli occupation continues in violation of international law and international humanitarian law, including the Fourth Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War of 1949 and resolutions of the Security Council.

Most alarming of the ongoing practices of the occupying Power is the excessive use of force by the Israeli occupying forces, using all types of military weaponry, against Palestinian civilians, which has caused a continuing rise in the number of Palestinian deaths and injuries. In fact, killings by the Israeli occupying forces have occurred almost daily. Just yesterday, four people were killed in an explosion near Rafah close to the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt. Results of the investigation into this matter indicate that the explosion was the act of the Israeli occupying forces. Also, today, Israeli occupying soldiers shot and killed a Palestinian farmer in the Gaza Strip.

In follow-up to my previous letters to you on this serious matter, dated from 29 September 2000 to 17 April 2001 (A/55/432-S/2000/921;  A/55/437-S/2000/930; A/55/450-S/2000/957; A/55/466-S/2000/971; A/55/474-S/2000/984; A/55/490-S/2000/993; A/ES-10/39-S/2000/1015; A/ES-10/40-S/2000/1025; A/ES-10/42-S/2000/1068; A/ES-10/43-S/2000/1078; A/ES-10/44-S/2000/1093; A/ES-10/45-S/2000/1104; A/ES-10/46-S/2000/1107; A/ES-10/47-S/2000/1116; A/ES-10/48-S/2000/1129; A/ES-10/49-S/2000/1154; A/ES-10/50-S/2000/1173; A/ES-10/51-S/2000/1185; A/ES-10/52-S/2000/1215; A/ES-10/53-S/2000/1247; A/ES-10/54-S/2001/7; A/ES-10/55-S/2001/33; A/ES/10/56-S/2001/50, A/ES-10/57-S/2001/101; A/ES-10/58-S/2001/131 A/ES-10/59-S/2001/156;  A/ES-10/60-S/2001/175; A/ES-10/61-S/2001/189; A/ES-10/64-S/2001/209;  A/ES-10/65-S/2001/226; A/ES-10/66-S/2001/239; A/ES-10/67-S/2001/255; A/ES-10/68-S/2001/284; A/ES-10/69-S/2001/295; A/ES-10/70-S/2001/304; A/ES-10/71-S/2001/314; A/ES-10/72-S/2001/332; A/ES-10/75-S/2001/352; and A/ES-10/76-S/2001/372), I regret to inform you that 12 more Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli occupying forces. (The names of the martyrs are contained in the annex to the present letter.) These killings bring the total number of Palestinian martyrs since the beginning of the bloody Israeli campaign on 28 September 2000 to 427 people.

At the same time, the Israeli occupying forces continue to destroy Palestinian homes and infrastructure in the Occupied Territory. This has included the destruction of buildings, roads, and agricultural fields and orchards. Further, Israeli settler violence and vandalism against the Palestinian people continue, particularly in the city of Al-Khalil.

In addition, the occupying Power continues its closure of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with severe restrictions on the movement of persons and goods and the resulting separation and isolation of the towns, villages and cities of the Occupied Territory. The Israeli closures have even impeded the movement of United Nations personnel, thus obstructing services, including the delivery of necessary humanitarian assistance.

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 26 April 2001 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 Israeli occupying forces in the

Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem*

(Tuesday, 17 April through Thursday, 26 April 2001)

Tuesday, 17 April 2001

1. Rami Yehia Ghareeb (17 years old)

2. Bara’ Jalal Al-Sha’er (10 years old)

(In addition to names of martyrs of 17 April 2001, which were included in A/ES-10/76-S/2001/372)

Sunday, 22 April 2001

Madi Khalil Madi

Monday, 23 April 2001

Muhanad Nizar Muhareb (11 years old)

Tuesday, 24 April 2001

1. Hussein Yussef Abu Hamdah

2. Iyad Hussein Nazal

Wednesday, 25 April 2001

1. Ramadan Ismail Azam

2. Sameer Sabry Zo’rob

3. Sa’di Mohammed Al-Dabbas

4. Yasser Al-Dabbas

5. Ibrahim Hammad Abu Oweila (18 years old) (died from wounds sustained earlier)

Thursday, 26 April 2001

Atef Ahmad Wahdan

____________

* Total number of Palestinian martyrs killed by Israeli occupying forces since 28 September 2000 = 427.