Illegal Israeli actions in OPT – Letter from Palestine

Identical letters dated 6 March 2006 from the Permanent

Observer of Palestine to the United Nations addressed to the

Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council

  Israel, the occupying Power, has been increasing its military aggression and its human rights violations against the Palestinian people throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem. This has included the continuation by the occupying Power of its campaign of extrajudicial executions, in flagrant violation of international law, including humanitarian law. The intensification by Israel, the occupying Power, of its illegal actions against the Palestinian people living under its brutal occupation have not only led to the needless deaths of innocent civilians, but have also resulted in the deterioration of the already grave socio-economic conditions and humanitarian hardships being faced by the Palestinian people.

  Today, Monday, 6 March 2006, Israel, the occupying Power, killed five Palestinians, including three children, in an extrajudicial execution attack. Israeli occupying forces fired missiles from a helicopter gunship on a car travelling on the crowded street of Salah El-Din in the Gaza Strip. The car was set on fire and debris from the vehicle covered the entire area. The two passengers, Moneer Sokkar and Ashraf Ahallof, died instantly from their wounds and the three bystanders killed were children. In this regard, two brothers, Raed Al-Batsh, age 8, and Mahmoud Al-Batsh, age 15, as well as Ahmed Al-Sousi, age 16, were killed while standing close to the car when the attack occurred. In addition, at least 13 Palestinian civilians, including the parents of the brothers mentioned above, were severely wounded as a result of Israel’s military attack. The attack also cut off the electricity, damaged several vehicles parked in the area and shattered windows in the surrounding apartments, causing panic and fear to spread among the residents. In a statement released today, President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the continued policy of extrajudicial executions by Israel, the occupying Power, and warned that such actions are a “dangerous escalation” against the Palestinian people and against the peace process.

  The international community, in accordance with the rules and principles of international law, including international humanitarian law, should call for the immediate cessation of these violent attacks and condemn this latest escalation of military aggression by Israel, the occupying Power, against the civilian Palestinian population. Furthermore, the international community should call on Israel to scrupulously comply with its obligations as an occupying Power in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem.

  I would also like to draw your attention to the grave and revealing statement made today, 6 March 2006, by the acting Prime Minister of Israel, Ehud Olmert. In this connection, Mr. Olmert declared the Israeli Government’s intention to unilaterally “determine its final borders by itself”. Such declarations constitute not only a blatant violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions, but the internationally endorsed road map as well. In the statement delivered today by President Abbas, he reiterated that “security would come only through negotiations, not unilateral action and aggression”. We call on the international community to reject such a position by the occupying Power and to urgently address this matter for the chance of salvaging the hopes for peace.

  The present letter is in follow-up to our previous 233 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 24 February 2006 (A/ES-10/322-S/2006/127), 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.

  Accordingly, in follow-up to the above-mentioned letters, it is my profound regret to inform you that, since our last letter to you, at least five more Palestinians, including three children, have been killed by the Israeli occupying forces, raising the total number of martyrs killed since September 2000 to 3,786. ¹ (The names of the martyrs that have been identified are listed in the annex to the present letter.)

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

(Signed) Riyad Mansour 

Ambassador

Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations

Annex to the identical letters dated 6 March 2006 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*

    Monday, 6 March 2006

1.   Moneer Sokkar

2.  Ashraf Ahallof

3.   Raed Al-Batsh (8 years old)

4.  Mahmoud Al-Batsh (15 years old)

5.  Ahmed Al-Sousi (16 years old)

*   The total number of Palestinian martyrs killed by the Israeli occupying forces since 28 September 2000 is 3,786.

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