Mideast situation/Palestine question – Letter from Palestine

Identical letters dated 4 October 2000 from the

Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations

addressed to the Secretary-General and to the

President of the Security Council

In follow-up to my two recent letters dated 29 September 2000 and 2 October 2000 (A/55/432-S/2000/921 and A/55/437-S/2000/930), I regret to inform you once more that Israel, the occupying Power, has intransigently persisted in its campaign against the Palestinian people, continuing to massacre and injure even more Palestinian civilians.

On 2 and 3 October, Israeli security forces killed 17 more Palestinians, bringing the total number of dead to 45. The majority of those killed were civilians and a number of them were children, including a baby girl of one and a half years of age. (The names of the martyrs are annexed to the present letter.) The forces also injured hundreds more Palestinians, many of whom remain in critical condition. It was starkly horrific to realize that, among the severely injured, several had been hit in the eyes, causing loss of sight in most of them.

In addition to the information I conveyed to you in my previous letters regarding the use of lethal power by Israel, the Israeli security forces have continued to increase their presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem, have reoccupied parts of the areas under Palestinian jurisdiction, and yesterday, actually used tanks to fire against Palestinian targets.

I find myself also compelled to refer to the tragic events in Israel itself. In recent days, Israeli Arabs have been protesting in demonstration of their solidarity with the Palestinian people. The Israeli police have responded to this with fatal brutality, which has resulted in the killing of 10 Israeli Arabs and the injuring of hundreds.

Once again, we call for immediate action by the Security Council to ensure the cessation of all illegal Israeli actions and measures against the Palestinian people, including its use of all kinds of lethal military power; the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Al-Haram Al-Sharif and from the vicinity of Palestinian cities and towns; and an investigation into the bloody events of recent days.

I would be grateful if you would arrange to have the text of the present letter distributed as an official document of the General Assembly, under agenda items 36, 40, 41 and 85 and of the Security Council.

(Signed) Nasser Al-Kidwa

Ambassador

Permanent Observer of Palestine

to the United Nations

—–