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 Fire Kills 9 More Palestinians)
Yesterday, Thursday, 18 October 2001, Israeli occupying
forces assassinated three Palestinians in the city of Bethlehem. Mr. Ataf
Ebeyat, Mr. Jamal Nawara and Mr. Issa Ebeyat were killed instantly when their
car exploded. Mr. Dore Gold, a spokesman for the Israeli government, said that
Israel does not deny nor confirm its responsibility of these assassinations.
Also, yesterday, Israeli tanks entered and shelled the Palestinian city of
El-Bireh, killing two Palestinian policemen, as well as killing a 10-year-old
girl in the city of Jenin. In addition to these brutal killings, the shelling
also caused a large number of Palestinian injuries, many of them critical.
Today, Israeli occupying forces dispatched approximately 30
tanks and armored personnel carriers into the neighboring cities of Bethlehem
and Beit Jala, seizing several building, including two hotels. This Israeli
action resulted in the killing of one Palestinian in addition to the killing
of a Palestinian near the village Al-Khader. Also today, Israeli occupying
forces shot and killed a Palestinian in Gaza as he threw stones at Israeli
soldiers. Further, a 13-year-old Palestinian boy was killed while playing with
a shell fired earlier by the Israeli occupying forces.
Israel claims that the above actions, along with several
hostile and belligerent statements, came in response to the assassination of
an Israeli minister, Mr. Rehavam Zeevi. The Palestinian Authority condemned
the assassination as a matter of principle, irrespective of the fact that
Mr.Zeevi was an extremist and a racist person. The Authority also indicated
that it would take the necessary measures against the perpetuators. In
contrast, Israel, the occupying Power, institutionalized the Israeli policy of
assassination of Palestinians, thus making the commission of such war crimes
and State terrorism the responsibility of the government. It is worth noting
that prior to the assassination of Mr. Zeevi, Israeli occupying forces
assassinated three Palestinians in three consecutive days. It is also worth
noting that Israeli occupying forces assassinated the leader of the
Palestinian group that claimed responsibility
The Israeli government previously displayed an unwillingness
to respond positively to efforts aimed at reaching an effective cease-fire and
implementing Mitchell recommendations. It seems as if the Israeli government
wants to use the assassination of Mr. Zeevi to justify its sweeping and
escalated military actions against the Palestinian people and against the
Palestinian Authority.
It appears that one of the aims of the Israeli government is
to suppress the positive developments on an international front with regard to
support of a Palestinian state. It also appears to aim to try to deviate the
coalition against international terrorism, only to serve as an illegitimate
agenda at the expense of the success of the mission before the international
community.
I am writing this letter in follow-up to our previous 73
letters addressed to you regarding this grave and ongoing situation in the
Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem, dated from 29 September
2000 to 16 October 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;
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; A/ES-10/96-S/2001/697;
A/ES-10/97-S/2001/708; A/ES-10/98-S/2001/717; A/ES-10/99-S/2001/742;
A/ES-10/100-S/2001/754; A/ES10/101S/2001/783; A/ES-10/102-S/2001/785;
A/ES-10/103-S/2001/798; A/ES10/104;S/2001/812; A/ES-10/105-S/2001/814;
A/ES-10/107-S/2001/821;A/ES-10/108-S/2001/826; A/ES-10/111-S/2001/880;
A/ES-10/112-S/2001/918; A/ES-10/114-S/2001/928; A/ES-10/115-S/2001/932;
A/ES-10/116-S-2001/941 and A/ES-10/.) Since our last letter to you on 16
October 2001, Israeli occupying forces have brutally killed nine more
Palestinians, including the martyrs mentioned above, bringing the total number
of Palestinian martyrs to 691. (The names of the martyrs are contained in the
annex to the present letter.) In addition, the number of Palestinians injured
by the fire and action of the Israeli occupying forces continue to rise.
*Total number of Palestinian martyrs killed by Israeli
occupying forces since 28 September 2000 = 691