Illegal Israeli actions in OPT – Letter from Palestine

Identical letters dated 27 March 2002 from the Permanent Observer of

Palestine to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General

and the President of the Security Council

The military siege imposed by Israel, the occupying Power, on the Palestinian people and their President, Yasser Arafat, continues unabated. This siege, which has denied the President freedom of movement throughout, as well as out of and into, the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem, has prevented him from attending the Summit of the League of Arab States being held in Beirut, today and tomorrow, 27 and 28 March.

Moreover, in addition to the placement of further conditions on the movement of President Arafat, recent remarks by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon have revealed even worse intentions on the part of the Israeli Government. In this regard, Mr. Sharon has repeatedly declared his wish to prevent President Arafat from returning if he did indeed leave. For example, Mr. Sharon has stated, “If it is said to Israel by the United States that Israel can refuse to allow him to return if there are terror attacks, it will be easier for me to allow him to leave.”

Mr. Sharon has also repeated a statement related to the safety and well-being of the Palestinian President. In an interview with an Israeli newspaper published yesterday, Mr. Sharon stated, “In my role as Prime Minister, I made one commitment which was a mistake: I said I would not harm Arafat physically.” This remark follows a series of other dangerous and indeed insane statements by the Prime Minister, revealing his criminal intentions and his determination to continue the vicious military campaign against both the Palestinian people and the Palestinian Authority. Further, such statements recall Mr. Sharon’s dark and bloody record of crimes and serve as yet another indication that for peace to be achieved, a different Israeli leader must emerge.

Clearly, the Government of Mr. Sharon has neither the intention nor the will to take the necessary steps towards peace. In fact, in recent days, Israeli military officials have repeatedly threatened to intensify military assaults against the Palestinian people and have been undertaking preparations for more intensive attacks. Just yesterday it was reported that a senior Israeli official stated that if ceasefire efforts fail, “then I guess we will have to take more aggressive operational steps”. Such an escalation of the Israeli military campaign, now nearing its nineteenth month, can only lead to even greater death and destruction and suffering and loss for the Palestinian people under Israeli occupation and a more perilous deterioration of the situation.

In follow-up to my previous 109 letters to you regarding the grave situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem, dated from 29 September 2000 to 25 March 2002 (A/55/432-S/2000/921; A/55/437-S/2000/930; A/55/450-S/2000/957; A/55/466-S/2000/971; A/55/474-S/2000/984; A/55/490-S/2000/993; A/ES-10/39-S/2000/1015; A/ES-10/40-S/2000/1025; A/ES-10/42-S/2000/1068; A/ES-10/43-S/2000/1078; A/ES-10/44-S/2000/1093; A/ES-10/45-S/2000/1104; A/ES-10/46-S/2000/1107; A/ES-10/47-S/2000/1116; A/ES-10/48-S/2000/1129; A/ES-10/49-S/2000/1154; A/ES-10/50-S/2000/1173; A/ES-10/51-S/2000/1185; A/ES-10/52-S/2000/1215; A/ES-10/53-S/2000/1247; A/ES-10/54-S/2001/7; A/ES-10/55-S/2001/33; A/ES/10/56-S/2001/50, A/ES-10/57-S/2001/101; A/ES-10/58-S/2001/131 A/ES-10/59-S/2001/156;  A/ES-10/60-S/2001/175; A/ES-10/61-S/2001/189; A/ES-10/64-S/2001/209;  A/ES-10/65-S/2001/226; A/ES-10/66-S/2001/239; A/ES-10/67-S/2001/255; A/ES-10/68-S/2001/284; A/ES-10/69-S/2001/295; A/ES-10/70-S/2001/304; A/ES-10/71-S/2001/314; A/ES-10/72-S/2001/332; A/ES-10/75-S/2001/352; A/ES-10/76-S/2001/372; A/ES-10/79-S/2001/418; A/ES-10/80-S/2001/432; A/ES-10/81-S/2001/447; A/ES-10/82-S/2001/463; A/ES-10/83-S/2001/471; A/ES-10/84-S/2001/479; A/ES-10/85-S/2001/486; A/ES-10/86-S/2001/496; A/ES-10/87-S/2001/504; A/ES-10/88-S/2001/508; A/ES-10/89-S/2001/544; A/ES-10/90-S/2001/586; A/ES-10/91-S/2001/605; A/ES-10/92-S/2001/629; A/ES-10/93-S/2001/657; A/ES-10/94-S/2001/669; A/ES-10/95-S/2001/686; A/ES-10/96-S/2001/697; A/ES-10/97-S/2001/708; A/ES-10/98-S/2001/717; A/ES-10/99-S/2001/742; A/ES-10/100-S/2001/754; A/ES-10/101-S/2001/783; A/ES-10/102-S/2001/785; A/ES-10/103-S/2001/798; A/ES-10/104-S/2001/812; A/ES-10/105-S/2001/814; A/ES-10/107-S/2001/821; A/ES-10/108-S/2001/826; A/ES-10/110-S/2001/855; A/ES-10/111-S/2001/880; A/ES-10/112-S/2001/918; A/ES-10/114-S/2001/928; A/ES-10/115-S/2001/932; A/ES-10/116-S/2001/941; A/ES-10/117-S/2001/971; A/ES-10/118-S/2001/989; A/ES-10/119-S/2001/991; A/ES-10/121-S/2001/1007; A/ES-10/122-S/2001/1024; A/ES-10/123-S/2001/1036; A/ES-10/124-S/2001/1084; A/ES-10/125-S/2001/1092; A/ES-10/126-S/2001/1118; A/ES-10/128-S/2001/1149; A/ES-10/129-S/2001/1166; A/ES-10/133-S/2001/1239, A/ES-10/134-S/2001/1261, A/ES-10/136-S/2002/18, A/ES-10/137-S/2002/39, A/ES-10/138-S/2002/48, A/ES-10/139-S/2002/58, A/ES-10/140-S/2002/89, A/ES-10/141-S/2002/95, A/ES-10/142-S/2002/102, A/ES-10/143-S/2002/121, A/ES-10/144-S/2002/142, A/ES-10/145-S/2002/146, A/ES-10/146-S/2002/165; A/ES-10/147-S/2002/175; A/ES-10/148-S/2002/182, A/ES-10/149-S/2002/190, A/ES-10/150-S/2002/214 A/ES-10/151-S/2002/223; A/ES-10/152-S/2002/232; A/ES-10/154-S/2002/242, A/ES-10/155-S/2002/248, A/ES-10/156-S/2002/249, A/ES-10/157-S/2002/253; A/ES-10/158-S/2002/258; A/ES-10/159-S/2002/281 and A/ES-10/160-S/2002/307), I regret to inform you that, since my last letter, 5 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli occupying forces, raising the total number of Palestinian martyrs since 28 September 2000 to 1,172 people.

I would be grateful if you would arrange to have the text of 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) Dr. Nasser Al-Kidwa

Ambassador, Permanent Observer of Palestine

to the United Nations

Annex

Names of martyrs killed by Israeli occupying forces in the

Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem^a

(Tuesday, 26 March to Wednesday, 27 March 2002)

Tuesday, 26 March 2002

1. Khaled Youssef Dabsh

2. Shadi Al-Hamamrah

Wednesday, 27 March 2002

1. Saeed Abulroz

2. Mustafa Al-Akhras

3. Waddah Al-Batsh

______________

^a The total number of Palestinian martyrs killed by Israeli occupying forces since 28 September 2000 is 1,172.