7 May 2001 (A/ES-10/81-S/2001/447)
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: (Israeli Raids & Killings)
Today, the Israeli occupying forces brutally killed a
four-month-old baby girl, Iman Mustafa Hijo, and critically wounded her mother
as well as wounding more than 20 other Palestinian civilians, including at
least 10 children. This savagery occurred when soldiers of the occupying
Power, Israel, unleashed tank shelling and machine gun fire on the Khan Yunis
refugee camp in the Gaza Strip. In addition to the shelling of homes, a school
in the camp was also shelled.
Also today, Israeli occupying forces carried out incursions
into two Palestinian towns under full Palestinian control in the West Bank,
killing a Palestinian teacher and injuring dozens of civilians. Throughout the
day, Israeli occupying forces continued shelling an area near Bethlehem,
including the Aida refugee camp. A school in the camp was among those hit by
heavy Israeli fire, which resulted in several injuries. In Al-Khalil, a
frequent site of Israeli violence, a Palestinian police officer was also
killed today and two civilians were injured by Israeli fire.
Yesterday, Israeli occupying forces carried out incursions in
the town of Beit Jalla near Bethlehem, using tanks and machine gun fire. The
attacks resulted in the killing of a Palestinian man and the injury of more
than 20 people. Among the children injured were a 10 year-old girl who lost
her eye and a 6 year-old boy whose arm was shot off as he fled his home, which
was being shelled. The attacks also caused extensive damage and destruction to
several homes in the town.
At the same time, the Israeli occupying forces continued to
pursue the illegal and criminal policy of extrajudicial killing. On Saturday,
5 May 2001, Israeli forces shot and killed a man in the village of Irtas near
Bethlehem. The man was targeted as he stood in front of his house and was
struck by more than 20 bullets fired at him from an Israeli military outpost,
killing him instantly.
These violent actions follow Israel’s other destructive and
lethal actions over the past week throughout the Occupied Palestinian
Territory. Last week in Gaza, approximately 18 homes were demolished in an
attack by the Israeli occupying forces on the Brazil refugee camp in Rafah. In
addition to one dead and more than 15 injured, this attack left dozens of
Palestinians
homeless, for whom the United Nations Relief and Works Agency
for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is now providing emergency
shelter and care. A mosque in the area was also severely damaged by the
shelling. The cities of Tulkarem and Jericho were other targets of recent
Israeli attacks, in which one Palestinian man was killed and more than 10
civilians were wounded.
In follow-up to my previous letters to you on this grave
matter, dated from 29 September 2000 to 1 May 2001 (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; and
A/ES-10/80-S/2001/432), I wish to inform you that, since my last letter to
you, 6 more Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli occupying forces.
(The names of the martyrs are contained in the annex to the present letter.)
Regretfully, this brings the total number of Palestinian martyrs killed since
28 September 2000 to a total of 443 people.
This Israeli campaign of violence, terror and brutality
against Palestinian civilians, their homes, properties and land has now
entered into its eighth month. Thus, in addition to the hundreds of killings
and tens of thousands of injuries of Palestinian civilians, the actions of the
Israeli occupying forces in wholly civilian areas have endangered the lives of
hundreds of thousands of Palestinian children, women and men. As Israel, the
occupying Power, continues to pursue this inhuman military campaign against
the civilian population under its occupation, the need of the Palestinian
people for international protection continues to be a matter of great urgency.
We call upon the international community and the Security Council to take the
necessary action in this regard.
Names of Martyrs killed by Israeli occupying forces
In the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including
Jerusalem*
(Wednesday, 2 May through Monday, 7 May 2001)
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Wednesday, 2 May 2001
Mahmoud Nimr Abdel Hadi Aqel (17 years old)
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Saturday, 5 May 2001
Ahmed Khalil As’ad
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Sunday, 6 May 2001
Mohammed Ibrahim Obead
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Monday, 7 May 2001
Iman Mahmoud Hijo (4 month old)
Hussein Khadr Abu Tammam
Murad Fayez Al-Gharoush
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* Total Number of Palestinian Martyrs killed by Israeli
occupying forces since 28 September 2000 = 443
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