17 July 2001 (A/ES-10/97-S/2001/708)
Letter Sent by Mr. Marwan Jilani, Charge' d'affaires
a.i., Deputy Permanent Observer of the Permanent Observer Mission of Palestine
to the U.N., to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, President of the
Security Council, and the President of the General Assembly:
(Assassination of 4 Palestinians in Bethlehem)
The Israeli Government continues to pursue the illegal and
criminal policy of extrajudicial killings as part of its bloody military
campaign, which began on 28 September 2000, against the Palestinian people in
the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem, causing more
Palestinian deaths and injuries and destruction of property, and terrorizing
the Palestinian civilian population under its
occupation.
Today, Israeli helicopter gunships fired missiles at a
Palestinian gathering in Bethlehem killing 4 more Palestinians. At the same time, more than 10
Palestinian civilians were seriously injured in this brutal Israeli attack.
The Palestinian civilians targeted were preparing a reception for a
Palestinian who was released that same day from an Israeli prison. This is a
dangerous escalation of the Israeli assassination campaign against Palestinian
civilians and represents a serious violation of international law,
international humanitarian law as well as the cease-fire agreement.
Furthermore, today’s attack followed an overnight attack by
Israeli tanks on four Palestinian police positions in the West Bank towns of
Jenin and Tulkarem. Israel claims
that this criminal act was carried out in response to the suicide bombing that
occurred yesterday in Binyamina, Israel, which resulted in the death of two
Israelis in addition to the bomber.Â
This Israeli claim has been made despite the fact that the Palestinian
Authority repeated its clear position in this regard in a statement issued
after the bombing, condemning it and any attacks against any
civilians.
These criminal actions by the Israeli occupying forces in the
Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem, are part of the ongoing
Israeli bloody military campaign being waged against the Palestinian people.
The government of Mr. Ariel Sharon is fully responsible for that campaign,
including war crimes and State terrorism being committed against the
Palestinian civilian population under occupation.
Since our last letter to you dated, 13 July 2001
(A/ES-10/96-S/2001/697), I regret to inform you that Israeli occupying forces
have killed 6 more Palestinians, including the above-mentioned martyrs,
bringing the total number of Palestinian martyrs to 525. (The names of the martyrs are
contained in the annex to the present letter). At the same time, the total
number of Palestinian civilians injured, many severely and permanently, also
continues to rise each day.
Moreover, I am writing this letter in follow-up to our
previous 56 letters addressed to you regarding this grave and ongoing
situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem, dated
from 29 September 2000 to 13 July 2001 (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;Â
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 and
A/ES-10/96-S/2001/697)
As we have repeatedly indicated in the past, the Security
Council of the United Nations cannot absolve itself from its responsibility
vis-à-vis the ongoing tragic and dangerous situation in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem, and in the Middle East as a
whole. We once again reiterate
our call to the Council to uphold its responsibility and take the necessary
measures to save the situation, as well as to ensure compliance with
international law, international humanitarian law and existing
Palestinian-Israeli agreements.
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Names of Martyrs killed by
Israeli occupying forces
In the Occupied
Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem*
(Monday, 16 July through
Tuesday, 17 July 2001)
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Monday, 16 July
2001
Â
1.        Â
Ibrahim Mohammed
Al-Wahadnah
2.        Â
Salem Taleb
Al-Derawi
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Tuesday, 17 July
2001
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1.        Â
Omar Ahmed
Saada
2.        Â
Ishaq Ahmed
Saada
3.        Â
Mohammed Saleh Saada
4.        Â
Taha Eissa
Al-Arouj
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Total
number of Palestinian martyrs killed by Israeli occupying forces since 28
September 2000 = 525
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