21 February 2002 (A/ES-10/149-S/2002/186)

The situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem, continues to dramatically deteriorate due to the brutal Israeli military assault being carried out against the Palestinian people and the Palestinian Authority. Today, the Israeli occupying forces persisted with fierce land, air and sea attacks against Palestinian targets throughout the Occupied Territory, including, inter alia, against several police and security installations in Gaza, Nablus, Jenin and Ramallah and official compounds of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat in both Gaza City and Ramallah. More tragic than the vast destruction being wrought on the Palestinian infrastructure by these Israeli attacks, has been the resulting rise in the Palestinian death toll. In just the past two days, the Israeli forces have killed more than 25 Palestinians. This current wave of death and destruction being incurred upon the Palestinian people by the occupying army is the direct result of orders by the Israeli government of Mr. Ariel Sharon.

Further, for the first time, early today, Israeli troops and tanks entered Gaza City. During the incursion, the occupying forces attacked with machine-gun fire and also blew up a television transmission tower, knocking Palestinian radio and television stations off the air. An Israeli incursion was also made into the Rafah refugee camp in Gaza, with the Israeli occupying forces killing five Palestinians, wounding more than 35 people and demolishing a home.

In addition, the Israeli occupying forces further tightened the siege and closure imposed on the entire Occupied Palestinian Territory, including the prohibition of any Palestinian movement between cities, towns and villages. Israeli soldiers at roadblocks and checkpoints throughout the Occupied Territory repeatedly fired shots at cars and even at pedestrians trying to cross on foot. The siege has not only cut off the Palestinian people from the outside world but also isolated them in their towns and villages, preventing them from carrying out even the most basic daily activities. This has gravely intensified the socio-economic hardships being suffered by the entire Palestinian population on the eve of the Muslim holiday of Eid Al-Adha.

In follow up to my previous 98 letters to you regarding the grave deterioration of the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem, dated from 29 September 2000 to 20 February 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 and A/ES-10/148-S/2002/182), I regret to inform you that, since my letter to you on 15 February 2002, Israeli occupying forces have killed 41 Palestinians, including men, women and children, raising the total number of Palestinians killed since 28 September 2000 to 928. (The names of the martyrs are contained in the annex to the present letter.)

1. Masoud Abu Jalala
2. Hassan Al-Sakran
3. Nader Al-Masri
4. Nazih Abu Sidah

1. Nael Lutfi Fakir

1. Laila Kattawi
2. Salaheldin Farraj
3. Miriyam Al-Bahiysa
4. Muna Al-Bahiysa (10 years old-Daughter of Miriyam Al-Bahiysa)
5. Abdel Wahat Al-Najjar
6. Mohammed Al-Kaseem
7. Eyad Abu Saffiyeh
8. Mohammed Ali Hamdan
9. Ali Abu Rukba

1. Ibrahim Al-Ali
2. Mahmoud Al-Abeet
3. Ibrahim Abu Sarar
4. Mahmoud Al-Titter
5. Ibrahim Abu Ash
6. Mahmoud Mutluck Issa
7. Yasser Al-Masdar (17 years old)
8. Odeh Balounah
9. Mohammed Khalil Al-Najjar
10. Fuad Shittayah
11. Zahi Zawatyeh
12. Mahmoud Al-Ashkar
13. Ghanim Barham
14. Zuheir Akil
15. Mohammed Al-Hashash
16. Mohammed Abu Mirsal (17 years old)
17. Khalil Miskawi
18. Issam Abu Ramdan
19. Shkeir Samra

1. Raed Mohammed Abu Luli
2. Mohammed Al-Nims
3. Ehab Abdel Wahab
4. Bassim Al-Asaf
5. Mahmoud Abu Taha
6. Sameer Abu So’ud
7. Walid Khalid Al-Sheikh

* Total number of Palestinian martyrs killed by Israeli occupying forces since 28 September 2000 = 928