Situation in the OPT – Death of girl/Gun-fire at the Dome of the Rock/ SecCo Settlements Commission to be reactivated – Letter from CEIRPP Chairman

Letter dated 24 May 1982 from the Chairman of the Committee on the

Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People to

the Secretary-General

As Chairman of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, I have the honour once again to convey to you the Committee's profound concern over the dangerous deterioration in the situation owing to Israeli policy in the occupied Palestinian territories of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

Press reports confirm that young Palestinian demonstrators exercising their right to protest against the policies imposed on them by the administering authority in the illegally occupied Palestinian territories were victims of brutal Israeli repression, which caused the death of several Palestinians and the wounding of many others, some of whom are in critical condition.

According to reports, Israeli soldiers even attacked a girls' school, causing the death of a young Palestinian girl and wounding one other. There are also reports of renewed gun-fire at the Dome of the Rock.

The repressive policy pursued by Israel can only aggravate the already extremely tense situation in the occupied Palestinian territories and thereby increase the recognized threat to international peace and security in the region.

The Committee should also like to express its anxiety over the pursuit of the Israeli policy of establishing settlements in those territories, in violation of the fourth Geneva Convention of 12 August 1949 1/ and United Nations resolutions. In this connexion, the Committee is firmly convinced that the Security Council Commission established under resolution 446 (1979) should immediately be reactivated. It will be recalled that the Commission unanimously adopted its last report more than 17 months ago. It would be especially useful for the Security Council to consider that report on the situation without delay.

Everyone should appreciate the urgency of ensuring the strictest respect for the relevant resolutions of the United Nations, in particular those aimed at enabling the Palestinian people to exercise their inalienable rights.

I should be grateful if you would kindly have the text of this letter circulated as a document of the General Assembly, under item 31 of the agenda, and of the Security Council.

Signed) Massamba SARRE

Chairman of the Committee on the

Exercise of the Inalienable Rights

of the Palestinian People

__________

* A/37/50/Rev. 1.

Note

1/ United Nations Treaty Series, vol. 75, No. 973, p. 287.