5 February 2002 (A/ES-10/145-S/2002/146)

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 Occupying Forces Commits 5 More Extrajudiciary Executions)

Committing further grave breaches of international humanitarian law, the Israeli occupying forces carried out the extrajudiciary executions of five Palestinians early yesterday morning in Gaza. Four of the Palestinian men were killed instantaneously when the car in which they were riding exploded on a road between Rafah and Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip. The fifth man died later of wounds sustained in the explosion.

Initially, the Israeli army denied involvement in the killing of the men. Later, however, the army confirmed that the Israeli occupying forces in fact carried out their assassinations. Clearly, Israel has neither abandoned, nor has any intention of abandoning, its illegal policy of extrajudiciary execution, and it continues to pursue this policy recklessly and militantly. The savage murder of these five Palestinians must be added to the long and growing record of war crimes and State terrorism committed by Israel, the occupying Power, against the Palestinian people in over three decades of brutal military occupation. This list of crimes has grown exponentially in recent months due to the illegal and barbaric policies and practices of the Israeli government of Mr. Ariel Sharon.

Furthermore, it is clear that the Mr. Sharon’s government has no intention of observing any kind of cease-fire or calming the volatile situation on the ground in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem, and preventing its further deterioration. On the contrary, the policies and actions of the Israeli government seek to incite and escalate the violence and intensify the crisis. Moreover, it appears as though this recent extrajudiciary execution by the Israeli occupying forces was carried out in part in an effort to provoke a Palestinian response timed to coincide with Mr. Sharon’s visit to Washington in order to further strengthen his hand against the Palestinian people and leadership.

Meanwhile, the Israeli occupying forces continue to commit countless other serious violations and crimes in the ongoing bloody military campaign against the Palestinian people. The excessive and indiscriminate use of force by the Israeli army led to the killing of a 15 year-old Palestinian boy on Friday as well as the killing of an elderly Palestinian man yesterday. Also yesterday, Israeli helicopter gunships attacked a Palestinian metalworks plant in Gaza, causing heavy damage to the facility. These actions, in conjunction with all of the above, corroborate evidence of the policies of Mr. Sharon and his government, which aim at destroying any potential for peace and destroying the Palestinian Authority along with whatever is left of the Palestinian infrastructure. We reiterate that the international community must stand up to such Israeli policies and positions and must take measures to bring an end to Israeli war crimes, State terrorism and other atrocities being committed against the Palestinian people.

In follow up to my previous 94 letters to you regarding the Israeli bloody military campaign in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem, dated from 29 September 2000 to 1 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 and A/ES-10/144-S/2002/142), I regret to inform you that since my last letter the Israeli occupying forces have killed a total of 7 Palestinians. (The names of the martyrs are contained in the annex to the present letter.) These killings raise the number of Palestinians killed since 28 September 2000 to 875 martyrs.

Names of Martyrs killed by Israeli occupying forces In the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem* (Friday, 1 February 2002 through Monday, 4 February 2002)

Friday, 1 February 2002

  1. Loai’ Mousa Adeely (15 years old)

Monday, 4 February 2002

  1. Mahmoud Ali Mustafa

  2. Ibrahim Jarbou’a

  3. Ayman Al Bahdary

  4. Majed Abu Muamar

  5. Mohammed Fayez Abu Sunimah

  6. Nasser Abu Azerah

 

 

* Total number of Palestinian martyrs killed by Israeli occupying forces since 28 September 2000 = 875

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