At pre-dawn today, Israeli occupying forces moved tanks and bulldozers towards the Khan Yunis refugee camp in the vicinity of that city, encroaching the area under full Palestinian control and trying to demolish several structures. The occupying forces also shelled a police post in the same area, killing at least one policeman. Exchange of fire ensued, during which the Israeli occupying forces used tank shells and missiles, killing a total of four Palestinian policemen and injuring more than 40 civilians, making it a night of complete horror for the residents of the area.

Also today, following a pattern of similar crimes, the Israeli occupying forces committed another execution of a Palestinian civilian. Mr. Abbass Al-O’waiwi, who was standing in front of his shop in the middle of the city of Al-Khalil, was shot to death by 3 bullets from an Israeli post at 250 meters distance. Yesterday, in the village of Al Khadir, near Bethlehem, Mr. Yussef Abu Soaie was stepping out of his home when he was hit by several Israeli bullets from the hills overseeing the village from approximately 200 meters distance. A similar execution also took place on Monday, 11 December 2000, in the city of Nablus, when Mr. Anwar Hamran was hit by 19 bullets coming from an Israeli post at 1,000 meters distance as he was standing in front of a building of the Open University of Jerusalem. All of these assassinations by Israeli sharpshooters clearly represent additional war crimes of which the soldiers of the occupying Power are guilty.

In follow-up of my recent letters to you, dated 29 September to 11 December 2000 (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), the number of Palestinians killed since my last letter to you, until today, are 8 Palestinians, which brings the total number of Palestinians killed since 29 September 2000 to 291 martyrs. (The names of the 8 martyrs are annexed.)

This grave deterioration of the situation on the ground in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem, is taking place while the Security Council is still debating the draft resolution to establish a United Nations force of military and police observers that would greatly help to bring this continuous bloodshed to an end. We believe that the Security Council must act immediately, absent of which it will be unable or unwilling to fulfill its responsibility under the Charter of the United Nations.