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
- Loai’ Mousa Adeely (15 years old)
Monday, 4 February 2002
- Mahmoud Ali Mustafa
- Ibrahim Jarbou’a
- Ayman Al Bahdary
- Majed Abu Muamar
- Mohammed Fayez Abu Sunimah
- Nasser Abu Azerah
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* Total number of Palestinian martyrs killed by Israeli
occupying forces since 28 September 2000 = 875
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