Mideast situation – Letter from Israel

Letter dated 3 July 2001 from the Permanent Representative of Israel

to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General

I wish to draw your attention to the latest incident of Palestinian terrorism directed against Israel.

At approximately 4 p.m. yesterday (local time), Aharon Obidiyan, a 41-year-old Israeli and father of four, was visiting a market near Baka al-Garbiyeh. Upon getting out of his car, he was shot in the head with a pistol three times at close range and died of his wounds within minutes.

Several hours later, Yair Har-Sinai, a 51-year-old shepherd and father of nine, was tending sheep when he was shot in the head and chest by Palestinian terrorists. Har-Sinai was reported missing after his sheep returned home without him. His body was found this morning at approximately 3 a.m. (local time).

Also yesterday, one Israeli was lightly wounded in a shooting attack close to the community of Har Bracha, and another was lightly wounded by stones thrown at his car near Alei Zahav. Several other shooting incidents also occurred yesterday near Homesh, Kadim, Beit El, Tul Karm, Psagot, Neveh Dekalim and Rafiah, and a bomb exploded near an Israeli Defence Force (IDF) post outside the site. No injuries were reported in these attacks.

These attacks are merely the latest attacks in a more than nine-month campaign of Palestinian terrorism that has been detailed in my letters dated 21 June 2001 (A/56/119-S/2001/619), 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 as Israel is continuing to carry out its responsibilities under the Tenet Ceasefire. Israel’s policy of restraint persists despite ongoing Palestinian attacks, including mortar fire, car bombs and murders, that jeopardize the success of the ceasefire. To date, the Palestinians have failed to take significant and concerted action to prevent attacks on Israeli targets and to fulfil their obligations under the terms of the ceasefire.

Israel again calls on the Palestinian leadership to strictly adhere to the terms of the ceasefire and to take immediate and concerted action to halt all acts of Palestinian terrorism directed at Israeli civilians.

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

(Signed) Yehuda Lancry

Permanent Representative