Mideast situation – Letter from Israel

Letter dated 21 June 2001 from the Chargé d’affaires a.i. of the Permanent Mission

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

I wish to draw your attention to the latest incidents in the ongoing Palestinian campaign of terrorism against Israel.

Ilya Krivitz, age 62 and father of five, was shot at close range yesterday evening in the village of Silat e-Dhahr where he had gone to deliver merchandise at a local store. Krivitz managed to make it back to his village, Homesh, where he died of his wounds.

Krivitz is the third Israeli to be killed in as many days and is the 115th Israeli killed since the outbreak of hostilities in late September 2000.

Also yesterday, a bomb exploded on a busy street in the city of Hadera. No injuries were reported after a mortar shell, buried in a trash can, exploded in the city’s downtown area, not far from the central bus station. Hadera has been the scene of several Palestinian terrorist attacks in recent months, including a car bomb attack that killed two and injured over 60 on 22 November 2000, and another car bomb attack on 25 May 2001 that injured 66.

Yesterday’s attacks are merely the latest incidents in a nine-month campaign of Palestinian terrorism that has been detailed in my letters dated 19 June 2001 (A/56/98-S/2001/611), 18 June 2001 (A/56/97-S/2001/604), 13 June 2001 (A/56/92-S/2001/585), 11 June 2001 (A/56/91-S/2001/580), 4 June 2001 (A/56/85-S/2001/555), 30 May 2001 (A/56/81-S/2001/540), 25 May 2001 (A/56/80-S/2001/524), 18 May 2001 (A/56/78-S/2001/506), 11 May 2001 (A/56/72-S/2001/473), 9 May 2001 (A/56/69-S/2001/459), 1 May 2001 (A/55/924-S/2001/435), 23 April 2001 (A/55/910-S/2001/396), 16 April 2001 (A/55/901-S/2001/364), 28 March 2001 (A/55/863-S/2001/291), 27 March 2001 (A/55/860-S/2001/280), 26 March 2001 (A/55/858-S/2001/278), 19 March 2001 (A/55/842-S/2001/244), 5 March 2001 (A/55/821-S/2001/193), 2 March 2001 (A/55/819-S/2001/187), 14 February 2001 (A/55/787-S/2001/137), 13 February 2001 (A/55/781-S/2001/132), 2 February 2001 (A/55/762-S/2001/103), 25 January 2001 (A/55/748-S/2001/81), 23 January 2001 (A/55/742-S/2001/71), 28 December 2000 (A/55/719-S/2000/1252), 22 November 2000 (A/55/641-S/2000/1114), 20 November 2000 (A/55/634-S/2000/1108) and 2 November 2000 (A/55/540-S/2000/1065).

These attacks also come amidst continued Israeli attempts to implement the terms of the ceasefire, facilitated by the director of central intelligence George Tenet, which went into effect last week. Israel continues to refrain from taking any military action against Palestinian targets and has acted to alleviate the situation of the general Palestinian population by lifting closures around the cities of Jericho, Qalqilia, Jenin, Tulkarm and Nablus. Israeli troops have redeployed from a number of locations and roadblocks have been dismantled, opening roads to Palestinian traffic. In addition, the international crossings at Rafah and Allenby have been opened to Palestinian commercial and civilian traffic.

All these steps have been taken despite ongoing Palestinian attacks that jeopardize the success of the ceasefire. Over 90 separate incidents of gunfire, mortar attacks, thwarted terrorist bombings and other types of attacks or attempted attacks have been reported since the ceasefire took effect.

Israel reiterates its call upon the Palestinian leadership to adhere to the terms of the ceasefire as outlined in the Tenet plan and to take immediate and concerted action to control all acts of violence emanating from the territory under its control.

I should be grateful if you would arrange to have the text of this letter circulated  as an official document of the fifty-sixth session of the General Assembly, under item 179 of the preliminary list, and of the Security Council.

(Signed) Aaron Jacob

Chargé d’affaires a.i.