In spite of the fact that the United Nations Security Council remains seized of the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Israel, the occupying Power, continues with its bloody military campaign, its punitive measures and its illegal actions against the Palestinian people. Today, a 4 year-old Palestinian boy died after the Israeli army prevented him from leaving the Gaza Strip to Egypt for emergency heart surgery, another victim of Israel’s ongoing closure of the Occupied Territory. The boy’s father indicated that they had in fact tried to cross the border five times without success.

At the same time, Israel continues to pursue its illegal settlement activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem. Yesterday, Israeli authorities approved the building of almost 3,000 more units in the illegal Jewish settlement of Jabal Abu Ghneim to the south of Occupied East Jerusalem. It is to be recalled that the start of the construction of this illegal settlement led to the convening of the tenth emergency special session of the General Assembly and that construction continued in flagrant violation of the relevant resolutions of the Assembly and resolutions of the Security Council. This new decision also blatantly contradicts indications made by the new Israeli government that it would freeze settlement activities.

Since my last letter to you, dated 16 March 2001, 1 more Palestinian martyr was killed by the Israeli occupying forces, bringing the total number of Palestinian killed since 28 September to 377 people. I am attaching the name of the martyr in the annex to this letter in follow-up of my recent letters to you on this matter, dated from 29 September 2000 to 16 March 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; 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/2000/131; A/ES-10/59-S/2001/156; A/ES-10/60-S/2000/175; A/ES-10/61-S/2001/189; A/ES-10/64-S/2001/209; A/ES-10/65-S/2001/226; and A/ES-10/66-S/2001/239). In addition, I wish to also draw attention to the fact that many more Palestinian civilians continue to be injured, some severely, by the actions of the Israeli occupying forces.

I would also like to refer to the letter from the Israeli Permanent Representative to the Secretary-General, dated 19 March 2001 (A/55/842-S/2001/244), and the dangerous and false accusations therein directed against the Palestinian Authority. We categorically reject those accusations, as well as reject terms such as ‘Palestinian terrorism’, and we perceive these allegations to be an indication of the ill intentions on the part of the Israeli side towards returning us to a pre-peace process mentality and culture. At the same time, we wish to make clear the we hold many Israeli officials responsible for war crimes and other serious violations of international law and international humanitarian law that are being committed by the Israeli occupying soldiers and the illegal settlers against the Palestinian people. We believe it is the duty of the international community to deal with this serious matter at the appropriate time, including identifying specific responsibilities and taking the necessary legal actions in this regard.