Israel, the occupying Power, continues to pursue its bloody military campaign against the Palestinian people and their leadership in complete violation of international law and international humanitarian law and in complete defiance of the will of the international community. Mr. Sharon and his government continue to ignore Security Council resolutions and to avoid their implementation, refusing to comply with the demands made in resolution 1402 (2002) for the withdrawal of Israeli occupying forces from Palestinian cities and an immediate cessation of all acts of violence. Once again, the Security Council convened yesterday and adopted resolution 1403 (2002), demanding the implementation of resolution 1402 (2002) without delay, and yet the Israeli occupying forces continue to wage their military campaign throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem. The Israeli military attacks also continue in spite of the requests made by U.S. President George W. Bush in his statement yesterday.

The Israeli occupying forces continue to occupy Palestinian cities, towns, villages and refugee camps, killing and wounding Palestinians, destroying homes and properties and terrorizing the entire Palestinian population. Yesterday, occupying forces reoccupied the city of Al-Khalil and today seized the town of Tubas and began launching attacks and raids on the population there. In addition, the occupying forces continued to launch assaults in Nablus and Jenin and the surrounding refugee camps as well as continuing the siege and attacks in Ramallah, Qalqilya, Tulkarem and Bethlehem. The toll of death and destruction in these cities steeply climbs with each passing day of the Israeli military campaign.

The Israeli siege of the Church of the Nativity continues in the occupied city of Bethlehem, which remains a closed military zone. Dozens of Israeli tanks and occupying soldiers remain surrounding the Church and Manger Square. The lives of the Palestinians who fled to the Church in search of safe haven from the Israeli onslaught are clearly in danger as is the sanctity of the Church while the occupying forces continue their siege.

The international community must ensure the implementation of Security Council resolutions 1403 (2002), 1402 (2002) and 1397 (2002) to bring a halt to this most recent aggression by Israel, the occupying Power, in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem. The international community is morally and legally duty bound to take the necessary measures to bring an end to the Israeli human rights violations, war crimes and State terrorism against the Palestinian people and the Palestinian Authority.

In follow-up to my previous 113 letters to you regarding the crisis in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem, dated from 29 September 2000 to 4 April 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/XXX-S/2002/330; A/ES-10/163-S/2002/340 and A/ES-10/164-S/2002/353), it is my regret to inform you that, since my letter to you yesterday, at least 8 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli occupying forces, raising the total number of Palestinian martyrs to 1,236 people. These figures do not include today’s fatalities. Once again, due to the extremely difficult circumstances in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, we have been unable to compile a complete and accurate list of all of the Palestinian martyrs that have been killed by the Israeli occupying forces. The annex to the present letter contains the names of the martyrs that have thus far been identified, and the names of the other Palestinians that have been killed by the occupying forces will be conveyed once they are identified.

1. Sadaqa ‘Okasheh
2. Samir Ibrahim Salman
3. Rabe’a Ahmed Jalamneh
4. Abdallah Khidr Abu Obeid
5. Ahmed Hassan Abu Al-Heija
6. Nidal Abu Al-Heija
7. Mahmoud Rawhi Al-Akkah
8. Mohammed Ibrahim Abu Hattab