11 December 2000 (A/ES-10/50, S/2000/1173)

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: (Killing of Palestinian Police in Jenin)

 

The bloody Israeli military campaign against the Palestinian people has continued for over two months, with a rising number of casualties in the past few days. The Israeli occupying forces continue to use live ammunition and heavy weaponry, including tanks, against the civilian population in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem.

In follow-up of my previous letters to you, dated 29 September to 4 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), I regret to inform you that since my last letter, dated 4 December 2000, and until today, 17 more Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli occupying forces. These casualties bring the total number of deaths to 283 Palestinians. (The names of the 17 martyrs are annexed.) Numerous Palestinian civilians have also been wounded during that same time period.

On 8 December, another grave violation was committed by the Israeli occupying forces, which used one of its tanks to shell a Palestinian police position in the vicinity of the city of Jenin, instantly killing 4 policemen and a civilian passerby. The killing of those 5 martyrs presents yet another grim example of the continuing and intense brutality and violence of the occupying Power against the Palestinian people. At the same time, the Israeli closure measures on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem, have continued and intensified in recent days, exacerbating the socioeconomic suffocation of the entire population.

I would also like to draw your attention to the recent Israeli army apology to a freelance photographer from New York who was shot by an Israeli soldier in Bethlehem last month. The army told the photographer that the soldier and his commanders would be punished for using live ammunition while not facing immediate mortal danger. Obviously, the only difference between this incident and the at least tens of other casualties is the fact that this time the casualty was not a Palestinian.

Names of Martyrs killed by Israeli security forces

in the Occupied Palestinian Territory including Jerusalem

(Monday, 4 December through Sunday, 10 December)

 

Monday, 4 December 2000

  1. Awad Saleh Al-Silmi

Tuesday, 5 December 2000

  1. Ramzi Adel Baytnah (15 years old)

  2. Abdel Qader Omar Abu Leban

Wednesday, 6 December 2000

  1. Subhi Ahmad Abu Na’na

Thursday, 7 December 2000

  1. Mohammed Jouda Abu Assi

  2. Zuhair Mustafa Al-Hattab ( 16 years old)

Friday, 8 December 2000

  1. Hassan Ali Shaheen

  2. Moutaz Azmi Taylekh ( 16 years old)

  3. Ammar Samir Al-Mashni ( 16 years old)

  4. Mahmoud Rateb Kasem Abu Farha

  5. Muhenad Mahmoud Abu Shadouf

  6. Ala Abdel Latif Abu Jaber ( 17 years old)

  7. Mahmoud Abdullah Yehia ( 17 years old)

  8. Ziad Mahmoud Sobeh

Saturday, 9 December 2000

  1. Saleem Mohammed Al-Hamaida ( 13 years old) (from wounds sustained on 5 December 2000)

Sunday, 10 December 2000

  1. Mohammed Yousef Al-Mughrabi

  2. Hikmat Abdelhady

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