21 March 2001 (A/ES-10/67, S/2001/255)
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: (Violations and Settlements)
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.
Names of Martyrs killed by Israeli security forces
in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including
Jerusalem
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Saturday, 17 March 2001
- Mohammed Ismail Hashem Nasser (10 years old)
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Names of Martyrs who died as a result of closure
measures
by Israel, the occupying Power
Wednesday, 21 March 2001
- Abdel Fattah Al-Sbakhi (4 years old) (prevented by Israeli blockade
from reaching hospital-heart conditions)
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