23 July 2002 (A/ES-10/185-S/2002/827)
Letter sent by Dr. Nasser Al-Kidwa, Ambassador and Permanent
Observer of Palestine to the U.N., to the Secretary-General of the United
Nations, the President of the Security Council, and the President of the
General Assembly: (Gaza Assault and Execution)
Israeli war crimes and State terrorism against the
Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem,
continue to escalate. In the pre-dawn hours (Palestine time) of today, an
Israeli F-16 warplane fired a missile at a three-story apartment building in
the area of Yarmouk in northern Gaza City. This air strike killed 15
Palestinians and wounded more than 150 people. Among those killed in the
attack were nine infants and children, ranging between the ages of two months
and 13 years old. In addition to the human devastation, the building hit, as
well as at least four other homes, were destroyed in the attack on this
densely populated civilian neighborhood.
Israel, the occupying Power, declared that this military
attack was in fact carried out as a targeted killing. This repugnant practice
of extrajudiciary execution has been repeatedly condemned by the international
community and constitutes a war crime. Today, however, the occupying Power
took this practice to a new, extreme level, as the occupying forces knowingly
and deliberately killed innocent civilians in the attack along with the target
person, Mr. Salah Shehada. Clearly, there was no way that such a military
strike would not produce such tragic results in terms of civilian deaths and
injuries and physical destruction.
This Israeli assault represents the first blatant war crime
committed by the Israeli occupying forces since the entry into force this
month of the International Criminal Court (ICC). This action definitely falls
within the jurisdiction of the court and, as such, measures to bring the
perpetrators to justice should be taken. At the same time, this latest Israeli
war crime was committed at a time when serious efforts were being undertaken
to curb the violence and restore some cooperative measures between the two
sides. Obviously, the Israeli Prime Minister, Mr. Ariel Sharon, who labeled
the crime as a "great success", is once more trying his utmost to prevent any
progress towards restoring a meaningful, peaceful process. Mr. Sharon and his
lieutenants must be held responsible for such actions and the ensuing
results.
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The above-mentioned Israeli war crime comes after the recent
demolition of the homes of families of suspected Palestinian suicide bombers
as well as a series of threats by Israeli officials to deport some or all of
those family members. Such actual or threatened measures are illegal and
prohibited under the Fourth Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of
Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949, which is applicable to all
of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem. Further, they
represent a collective punishment as well as a war crime under international
humanitarian law and the statute of the ICC, and the international community
is obligated to take measures against the perpetrators of these crimes.
All of the above is happening while the Israeli occupying
forces continue with their reoccupation of most Palestinian cities and towns
in the occupied West Bank. The military siege of those areas, including
round-the-clock curfews, lifted only intermittently, has confined hundreds of
thousands of Palestinians to their homes and has compounded the economic and
social devastation already caused by continuous closure and severe
restrictions on the movement of persons and goods and the widespread physical
destruction. At the same time, the Israeli military siege on the headquarters
of President Yasser Arafat in Ramallah continues, seriously obstructing the
work of the Palestinian Authority.
All of these Israeli violations and crimes are suffocating
and indeed killing any potential for peace between the two sides. Moreover,
the tragic situation caused by the continuing Israeli occupation and the
incessant military assaults and the resulting humanitarian crisis being faced
by the Palestinian people is being further exacerbated while the international
community continues to stand idly by, turning a blind eye to the devastation
and destruction being wrought by the Israeli occupying forces against the
Palestinian people.
In follow-up to my previous 131 letters to you regarding the
ongoing crisis in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem,
dated from 29 September 2000 to 9 July 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/2000/1206;
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-10/99S/2001/742;
A/ES-10/100-S/2001/754; A/ES10/101-S/2001/783; A/ES-10/102-S/2001/785;
A/ES-10/103-S/2001/798; A/ES10/104-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-10/111-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/2000/1239; A/ES-10/134-S/2001/126; 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/2002/186; 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/2002/245; A/ES-10/157-S/2002/253; A/ES-10/158-S/2002/258;
A/ES-10/159-S/2002/281; A/ES-10/160-S/2002/307; A/ES-10/161-S/2002/319;
A/ES-10/162-S/2002/330; A/ES-10/163-S/2002/340; A/ES-10/164-S/2002/353;
A/ES-10/165-S/2002/361; A/ES-10/166-S/2002/370; A/ES-10/167-S/2002/433;
A/ES-10/168-S/2002/474; A/ES-10/169-S/2002/495; A/ES-10/173-S/2002/536;
A/ES-10/174-S/2002/555,A/ES-10/175-S/2002/610; A/ES-10/176-S/2002/617;
A/ES-10/177-S/2002/641; A/ES-10/178-S/2002/650; A/ES-10/179-S/2002/654;
A/ES-10/180-S/2002/686; A/ES-10/181-S/2002/697; A/ES-10/182-S/2002/699;
A/ES-10/183-S/2002/717 and A/ES-10/184-S/2002/738), it is my profound regret
to inform you that, since my last letter to you, at least 35 more
Palestinians, including women and children, have been killed by Israeli
occupying forces raising the total number of Palestinian martyrs killed since
28 September 2000 to 1705 people. (The names of the martyrs that have been
identified thus far are contained in the annex to the present letter.)
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Names of martyrs killed by Israeli occupying forces
in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including
Jerusalem*
(Wednesday, 10 July through Tuesday, 23 July 2002)
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Wednesday, 10 July 2002
- Rami Odeh Al-Katash
Thursday, 11 July 2002
- Zohair Tawfik Awad
- Majdi Mahmoud Abu Hajeb
Friday, 12 July 2002
- Mo’een Ali Al-Adeeny (13 years old)
- Khaled Jamal Al-Khateeb
- Imad Subhi Abu Zuhra
- Mahmoud Hassan Abu Shosha
- Jamal Yousef Odeh
Sunday, 14 July 2002
- Ghazi Jamal Abu Ebyat
- Nidal Ahmed Al-Amody
Monday, 15 July 2002
- Mahmoud Samer Abdelrahman Helal
Wednesday, 17 July 2002
- Bashar Hantoli (18 years old)
Thursday, 18 July 2002
- Ammer Hantoli
- Ahmed Abu Ridaha (8 years old)
- Fadi Al-Ejel (18 years old)
- Annas Abu Elba
Saturday, 20 July 2002
- Adel Abu Shabbab
Monday, 22 July 2002
- Imad Abu Eisha
Tuesday, 23 July 2002
- Salah Shehada
- Leila Shehada (Wife of Mr. Shehada)
- Iman Salah Shehada (14 years old – daughter of Mr. Shehada)
- Zaher Nassar
- Mona Al-Huwaity
- Mohammed Al-Huwaity (3 years old)
- Subhi Al-Huwaity (4 years old)
- Mohammed Al-Shawwa
- Ahmad Al-Shawwa (5 years old)
- Iman Mattar
- Dunya Mattar (2 months old)
- Diana Mattar (5 years old)
- Mohammed Mattar (4 years old)
- Ayman Mattar (2 years old)
- Ala’ Mattar (11 years old)
- Ahmed Ayesh
- Tamer Abu Irmana
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* The total number of Palestinian martyrs killed by Israeli
occupying forces since 28 September 2000 = 1705