10 May 2001 (A/ES-10/83-S/2001/471)
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 Missile Attacks)
Israel, the occupying Power, continues to pursue its military
campaign against the Palestinian people under its occupation. Daily, Israeli
occupying forces, using countless and the most advanced military means and
methods, have assaulted Palestinian civilians and Palestinian areas throughout
the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Today, Israeli occupying forces launched
at least four missiles against three Palestinian locations in the center of
Gaza City, including a security headquarters and the headquarters of Fatah,
the mainstream Palestinian political party, in the city. These attacks
resulted in the injury of several people, severe structural damage and caused
fear and panic to spread among the civilian population in the area.
In the last two days, Israeli occupying forces also sent
tanks and bulldozers into the territory under full Palestinian control in
several locations in the Gaza Strip and West Bank, including the town of
Al-Bireh. The tanks pounded targets, causing extensive physical damage and
injuries to civilians in the area, before they were withdrawn.
Allow me, at this time, to refer also to the recent letter by
the Israeli Representative to the United Nations (A/56/69-S/2001/459). The
letter follows the usual pattern of lies and distortions and attempts to
falsely assign blame, as well as complete disregard for facts, international
law and existing agreements. In this regard, we wish to state clearly that the
Palestinian Authority has nothing to do with the weapons Israel says it
captured in a boat off the coast of Gaza Strip earlier this week. Further, we
reiterate that the Israeli settlers, who have been illegally transferred by
the occupying Power to the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including
Jerusalem, in grave breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 and in
total violation of relevant Security Council resolutions, remain the exclusive
responsibility of the occupying Power. Moreover, we hold the Israeli
government wholly responsible for the war crimes and other atrocities being
committed by the Israeli occupying forces against the Palestinian people and
for Israeli State terrorism being waged against Palestinian civilians and
targets throughout the Occupied Territory.
In follow-up to my previous letters on this very dangerous
and grave issue, dated from 29 September 2000 to 9 May 2001
(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; and
A/ES-10/82-S/2001/463), I regret to inform you that yet another Palestinian
civilian has died as a result of the brutal actions of the occupying forces.
(The name of the martyr is contained in the annex to the present letter. This
death raises the total number of Palestinian martyrs killed by the Israeli
occupying forces since 28 September 2000 to 444 people. At the same time, the
total number of Palestinian civilians injured, many severely and permanently,
also continues to rise each day.
The international community should not remain idle while the
Israeli occupying forces continue to wreak death, injury and destruction upon
the Palestinian people under occupation. As long as such a situation
continues, the wrong message is sent to the occupying Power. We call upon the
international community and the Security Council to take the necessary action
in this regard, in particular the provision of protection for Palestinian
civilians.
Names of Martyrs killed by Israeli occupying forces
In the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including
Jerusalem*
(Tuesday, 8 May 2001 through Wednesday, 9 May
2001)
Tuesday, 8 May 2001
- Hashem Suliman Al-Mamlouk (16 years old) (died from wounds sustained
earlier)
* Total Number of Palestinian Martyrs killed by Israeli
occupying forces since 28 September 2000 = 444