Situation in the OPT – Letter from Tunisia on behalf of the GAS

LETTER DATED 25 MARCH 1988 FROM THE PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE

OF TUNISIA TO THE UNITED NATIONS ADDRESSED TO THE

PRESIDENT OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL

I have the honour to request that you have circulated, as an official document of the Security Council, the letter which I sent you on 15 March 1988 in which the Arab Group asked the Security Council to consider the increasingly dangerous situation prevailing in the occupied territories.

(Signed) Ahmed GHEZAL

Ambassador, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Tunisia

to the United Nations and Chairman of the Arab Group

Annex

Letter dated 15 March 1988 from the Permanent Representative of Tunisia to the

United Nations in his capacity as Chairman of the Arab Group for the month of

March 1988 addressed to the President of the Security Council

In my capacity as Chairman of the Arab Group for the month of March 1988, I wish to draw your attention and, through you, the attention of the members of the Security Council to the critical situation in the occupied Palestinian territories resulting from the escalation of the campaign of repression, violence and abuse which the Israeli occupation authorities are waging against the defenceless Palestinian people, including women, children and old men, thereby persisting in their violation of the most elementary human rights.

Within this framework falls the recent decision of the Israeli authorities giving their military leadership powers to declare the occupied territories closed to the various information media that have been assiduously transmitting the truth about what is happening in the occupied territories in order to apprise world public opinion about the terrorist crimes and operations of oppression and repression which are being carried out by the occupation authorities and which threaten the lives of the Palestinian people.

In the face of the escalation of these repressive and provocative acts and in the absence of the necessary protection for the Palestinian people, the Arab Group considers that the time has come for the Security Council to assume its responsibilities fully and face this grave situation squarely in order to protect the Palestinian people and the occupied territories and to put an end to the arbitrary Israeli policies and practices, in accordance with Security Council resolution 605 (1987) and in implementation of the recommendations of the Secretary-General, as contained in his report in document S/19443 of 21 January 1988, and that it is incumbent on the Council to consider the matter in the light of the daily recurring grave developments in the occupied territories.

Accept, Sir, etc.

(Signed) Ahmed GHEZAL

Ambassador, Permanent Representative

of the Republic of Tunisia

Chairman of the Arab Group