Illegal Israeli actions in OPT – Letter from Palestine

Identical letters dated 18 May 2001 from the Permanent

Observer of Palestine to the United Nations addressed to the

Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council

Today, Israel, the occupying Power, escalated its bloody military campaign against the Palestinian people to a new level by using F-16 warplanes to fire missiles and rockets against Palestinian targets in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem. This criminal aggression has resulted in the killing of at least 10 Palestinians and the injury of at least 100 Palestinians, many of whom are in serious condition. These attacks by the Israeli occupying forces against targets in the cities of Nablus and Ramallah also caused physical destruction and devastation of buildings and infrastructure, all of which are located in civilian areas, endangering the lives of thousands of Palestinians. Israeli occupying forces also fired missiles at locations in Gaza and Tulkarem.

Israel claims that this criminal act was carried out in response to the suicide bombing that occurred today in Netanya, Israel, which resulted in the death of six Israelis in addition to the bomber. This Israeli claim has been made despite the fact that the Palestinian Authority repeated its clear position in this regard in a statement issued after the bombing, condemning it and any attacks against any civilians.

We condemn this most recent Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people in the most vigorous terms. We call upon the international community to do the same and to take action to prevent any further Israeli war crimes and atrocities from being perpetrated against the Palestinian people under Israeli occupation.

In follow-up to my previous letters to you on this continuing critical matter, dated from 29 September 2000 to 17 May 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; A/ES-10/76-S/2001/372; A/ES-10/79-S/2001/418; A/ES-10/80-S/2001/432; A/ES-10/81-S/2001/447; A/ES-10/82-S/2001/463; A/ES-10/83-S/2001/471; A/ES-10/84-S/2001/479; A/ES-10/85-S/2001/486 and A/ES-10/86-S/2001/496), I regret to inform you that the criminal actions committed against the Palestinian people today raise the total number of Palestinian martyrs killed by the Israeli occupying forces since 28 September 2000 to 472 people. The names of the 10 martyrs killed in today’s bloody attacks are contained in the annex to the present letter, with the exception of one of the victims who is as of yet unidentified.

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

Please accept, Your Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration.

(Signed) Dr. Nasser Al-Kidwa

Ambassador

Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations

Annex to the identical letters dated 18 May 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*

(Friday, 18 May 2001)

Friday, 18 May 2001

1. Ismail Abu Rafe’

2. Rifaat Mahmoud Rabai’ah

3. Ayman Khalil Ma’arouf

4. Nassri Nasser Yaqoub

5. Mu’taz Al-Khatib

6. Fadi Ahmed Al-Khatib

7. Ahmed Khaled Al-Khadr

8. Khaled Eqab Soboh

9. Wa’el Khadr

10. Unidentified.

___________

* Total number of Palestinian martyrs killed by Israeli occupying forces since 28 September 2000 = 472.