Illegal Israeli actions in OPT – Letter from Palestine

Identical letters dated 26 December 2002 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, continues to commit war crimes, State terrorism and systematic human rights violations against the Palestinian people on a daily basis. Since my letter to you dated 20 December 2002, the Israeli occupying forces have killed 18 men, women and children throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem.

Today, 26 December 2002, in a wave of killing and abductions, Israeli occupying forces killed at least eight Palestinians, injured more than 30 and abducted several others. In one instance, the occupying forces raided the compound of the main hospital in the city of Ramallah and fired at the guard in the hospital, killing him in cold blood, while abducting three other Palestinians. Also in Ramallah, Israeli execution squads shot at a car in the centre of the city, killing one of the passengers. During their shooting rampage, a student and a traffic policeman were also killed.

Further, in the city of Tulkarem, Israeli occupying forces committed another extrajudicial execution, killing Jamal Nader. Israeli execution squads abducted Mr. Nader and shortly thereafter shot and killed him. Also in Tulkarem, Israeli occupying forces blew up the home of Hamza Abu Roub, killing him instantaneously. The wave of killing by Israeli occupying forces also extended to the city of Nablus, where Israeli occupying forces killed two other Palestinians in
Al-Qasba, the old quarter of the city. Of the two killed, one was a 16-year-old boy, who was shot in the stomach by Israeli forces. In addition to the above-mentioned killings, Israeli occupying forces killed another Palestinian in Gaza, bringing the number of Palestinians killed today to a total of eight.

Israel, the occupying Power, has also persisted in its complete and absolute disdain towards Christmas celebrations and Christian holy sites in the city of Bethlehem. Today, the day after Christmas, Israeli occupying forces reimposed their curfew on the city of Bethlehem only to ensure that this year’s holiday would be the dreariest of all celebrations. We condemn the practices and policies of the occupying Power in Bethlehem and call upon the entire international community to express its condemnation as well.

Israel, the occupying Power, has also taken further measures to intensify its colonization of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, by attempting to establish a so-called buffer zone around illegal Israeli settlements. Needless to say, such a measure can only mean further confiscation of Palestinian land, construction of settlements and, indeed, an increase in the presence of colonial settlers on Palestinian land. These illegal measures also come in direct challenge to the international community, with the clear aim of sabotaging any and all efforts towards a peaceful settlement.

The above-mentioned war crimes committed by Israel, the occupying Power, have emerged as a clear pattern of behaviour adopted by the Government of Ariel Sharon and Benjamin Netanyahu. Those measures can only continue in the light of the positions held by influential parties, which can be seen by the occupying Power as encouragement, such as the unfortunate veto cast by the United States of America in the Security Council on Friday, 20 December 2002.

We once again reiterate the urgent need for the international community to take action to address all of the above-mentioned serious violations and grave breaches of international law and international humanitarian law being committed by the occupying Power against the Palestinian people. We urge the Security Council to fulfil its duties for the maintenance of international peace and security and bring all Israeli crimes against the Palestinian people to an immediate end.

This letter is in follow-up to my previous 150 letters to you regarding the critical situation 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 20 December 2002 (A/ES-10/208-S/2002/1396), constitute a basic record of the crimes committed by the Israeli occupying forces against the Palestinian people since September 2000. For all of these war crimes, acts of 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, I regret to inform you that, as indicated above, the Israeli occupying forces have killed at least 18 Palestinians, including children, raising the total number of martyrs to 2,024 Palestinians. (The names of the martyrs that have been identified thus far are contained 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 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 December 2002 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, 20 December to Thursday, 26 December 2002)

    Friday, 20 December 2002 (not included in letter dated 20 December 2002)

1.   Majdi Mohammed Abdel Karim Moussa
2.  Sidiqeh Attiyeh Abu Sahloul

    Saturday, 21 December 2002

1.  Ahmed Fayez Abu Shimaleh
2.   Hanein Masoud Abu Sitteh (12 years old)

    Sunday, 22 December 2002

1.  Muhsen Fuad Jaber

    Monday, 23 December 2002

1.  Shaman Hussein Sobeh
2.  Mustafa Jalal Saleh Qash

    Tuesday, 24 December 2002

1.   Mohammed Fikry Breik (14 years old)

    Wednesday, 25 December 2002

1.  Ibrahim Taleb Hamd Abu Hawash
2.  Nabil Mohammed Kaware’

    Thursday, 26 December 2002

1.  Bassam Lotfy Al-Ahsqar
2.  Mahdy Samir Obeid
3.   Samer Al-Shamaly
4.  Hamzeh Mohammed Sa’eed Abu Al-Roub
5.  Jamal Nader
6.  Mohammed Mohi El-Din Ashoor (18 years old)
7.  Ahmed Tobileh
8.  Asem Al-Sousi

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*The total number of Palestinian martyrs killed by Israeli occupying forces since 28 September 2000 is 2,024.

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