12 October 2000 (A/55/474, S/2000/984)
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: (Bombings in Ramallah & Gaza)
Israel, the occupying Power, has taken military actions today
tantamount to the declaration of an overall war against the entire Palestinian
people, which is already under military occupation. In the last few hours, the
Israeli occupying forces have encroached Palestinian cities, dramatically
increasing their presence in the vicinities of these cities, and fired rockets
from helicopter gun-ships and Israeli military ships to destroy several
official Palestinian locations in Ramallah and near Gaza City. These violent,
military actions have resulted in the loss of heavy Palestinian lives and the
severe destruction of property in wholly civilian areas in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory.
All such Israeli actions are grave violations of the Fourth
Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of
War of 12 August 1949. They are in violation of all norms of international
law, including the resolutions of the United Nations, and of the agreements
reached between the two sides in the context of the Middle East peace process.
They also threaten to plunge the whole region into a serious
confrontation.
We call for an immediate meeting of the Security Council and
immediate action by the Council to bring an end to these illegal military
actions and the extremely dangerous situation that has developed.