Mideast situation/Palestine question/Attack on Tunis – Letter from Tunisia

LETTER DATED 1 OCTOBER 1985 FROM THE PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE

OF TUNISIA TO THE UNITED NATIONS ADDRESSED TO THE PRESIDENT

OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL

On instructions from my Government, I have the honour to inform you of the following.

On Tuesday, 1 October 1985, six Israeli military aircraft flying from the east at a low altitude penetrated Tunisian airspace and, at 10.07 a.m., bombed the civilian locality at Borj-Cedria called Hammam-Plage, situated in the southern suburbs of Tunis, dropping five (5) delay-action bombs weighing 1,000 pounds each.

This operation, for which Israel has officially claimed responsibility, has resulted in the loss of many human lives, with the toll now standing at more than 50 dead and nearly 100 wounded, while the search goes on for those still buried beneath the rubble. In addition it has caused material damage and destruction on a wide scale.

Contrary to what Israeli officials are claiming, the place chosen as the target for this cowardly attack is situated in an exclusively residential urban area which traditionally has been home to Tunisian families and a small number of Palestinian civilians who had to flee from Lebanon following the invasion of that country by the Israeli army.

This totally unjustifiable Israeli raid constitutes a blatant act of aggression against Tunisia's territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence, and a flagrant violation of the rules and norms of international law and of the principles embodied in the Charter of the United Nations.

The Tunisian Government requests an immediate meeting of the Council so that the latter may consider the situation resulting from Israel's aggression and take such steps as are required by the situation.

In that connection, the Tunisian Government calls upon the Council to condemn this deliberate act of aggression in the strongest terms, to require those responsible to make fair and full compensation for all the damage sustained, and to take appropriate measures to prevent such acts from recurring.

In bringing this situation to the Council's attention, the Tunisian Government is confident that the latter will give its most careful consideration to the serious situation created by the act of aggression planned and carried out by the Government of Israel against Tunisia's sovereignty and peace in the region, and that it will take appropriate action.

(Signed) Nejib BOUZIRI

Ambassador

Permanent Representative of Tunisia

to the United Nations

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