16 January 2001 (A/ES-10/56, S/2001/50)
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: (Killings & Settlers)
It is my profound regret to inform you that the Israeli
occupying forces continue their excessive and indiscriminate use of force
against Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including
Jerusalem. The ongoing, bloody military campaign against the Palestinian
people by Israel, the occupying Power, has resulted in more brutal killings,
torture and wounding of Palestinians civilians in recent days. Moreover,
illegal Israeli settlers have continued to commit acts of violence and
destruction against the Palestinian people, increasing their suffering and
misery under occupation.
Yesterday, 15 January, a mob of armed Israeli settlers in the
Gaza Strip descended upon a Palestinian area known as Al-Mawasi in a rampage
of vast destruction. The settlers assaulted Palestinians and burned several
Palestinian homes, greenhouses, farms, fruit orchards, and cars. The settlers
also used their automatic weapons to fire shots in the area and smash the
windows of homes and cars. At the same time, the Israeli army once again
closed the Gaza Strip, closed Gaza International Airport, and placed several
concrete roadblocks and tanks along the main roads in the Gaza Strip,
completely obstructing Palestinian movement within and in and out of the
area.
The violence and destruction has, of course, not been limited
to Gaza. In the West Bank, the Israeli occupying forces continue to harass,
injure and kill Palestinian civilians. On 12 January soldiers of the occupying
army killed a Palestinian man, Mr. Shakir Al-Hussainy, during clashes
following the Friday prayers in Al-Khalil. The man was shot in the head and
chest by Israeli soldiers, who did not provide him with any medical aid and
who proceeded to drag his dying body for 250 meters through the streets of
Hebron as his head repeatedly hit curbs and stones. This blatant violation of
human rights and savage disregard for human life and dignity was documented on
camera by a news agency for the eyes of the world to witness.
Several other Palestinian civilians have been killed by
Israeli occupying forces in recent days. In follow-up of my previous letters
to you on the matter, dated from 29 September 2000 to 10 January 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; and
A/ES-10/55-S/2001/33), I regret to inform you that, since my last letter to
you, the Israeli occupying forces have killed three more Palestinian
civilians, bringing the total number of Palestinian martyrs to 332. (The names
of the three martyrs are contained in the annex to the present letter.)
Further, the number of Palestinians injured and severely wounded by the
occupying forces also continues to rise.
Despite the continuation of this daily military campaign by
Israel against the Palestinian people under its occupation, the Israeli Prime
Minister had the audacity to state in a television interview that Israel was
no longer an occupying power. In this regard, Mr. Barak stated, "We stopped
being an occupying Power seven years ago when the bulk of the Palestinian
population became under Palestinian authority control." Such distorted and
false claims blatantly ignore the realities of the situation on the ground. It
also indicates a determination by the Israeli side to continue ignoring
relevant instruments of international law. Israel continues to be an occupying
Power with its forces placed not only around the Occupied Palestinian
Territory, including Jerusalem, but also within the territory, on its roads
and in the vicinity of its cities, towns and villages. Moreover, the brutal
policies and practices of the occupying Power continue to impact all aspects
of life for the Palestinian people under occupation. Israel, the occupying
Power, should continue to be held responsible for its actions, as well as the
actions of its settlers, illegally brought to the occupied territory.
In the meanwhile, we continue to stress that the
international community should provide for international protection for
Palestinian civilians. In this regard, we once again express the hope that the
United Nations, and specifically the Security Council, will take the necessary
measures in line with their duties and responsibilities.
Names of Martyrs killed by Israeli security forces
in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including
Jerusalem
(Thursday, 11 January 2001 through Monday, 15 January
2001)
Thursday, 11 January 2001
- Mohammed Said Ghanem
Friday, 12 January 2001
- Shaker Faisal Hassouna Al-Hussainy
Monday, 15 January 2001
- Maddy Ahed Abdullah Eshteiah
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