13 June 2001 (A/ES-10/90, S/2001/586)
Letter sent by Mr. Marwan Jilani, Charge' d'affaires a.i.,
Deputy Permanent Observer of the Permanent Observer Mission of Palestine to
the U.N., to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, President of the
Security Council, and the President of the General Assembly: (Palestinian
Women Killed by Israeli Tank Fire)
On 9 June 2001, the Israeli occupying forces brutally killed
3 Palestinian women, all from the same family, and critically wounded many
other Palestinian civilians. This savagery occurred when soldiers of the
occupying Power, Israel, unleashed tank shelling into their residential
neighborhood. They were killed by flechettes fired from tank shells that
struck their home while they were sleeping. Flechette shells, considered one
of the most ruthless anti-personnel weapons, spray hundreds of dart-like nails
in the general areas at which they are fired. The killing of these three
Palestinian women occurred at a time when Israel, the occupying Power, is
implementing a so-called cease-fire. Official Israeli reports released by the
Israeli Military spokesperson shortly after the attack claimed that Israeli
fire was directed only at specific locations where gunmen had been identified.
However, on 11 June 2001, Israeli authorities stated that the attack on the
neighborhood was a mistake.
This is yet another incident of indiscriminate shelling and
killing of Palestinian civilians, including women and children, which is
usually followed by Israeli claims that it was in response to Palestinian
gunmen, only later to be declared as a "mistake." This reflects the continuing
pattern of the behavior of the Israeli soldiers that is supported and
encouraged by the policies of the Israeli government, which must cease
immediately.
Since our last letter to you, dated 31 May 2001
(A/ES-10/89-S/2001/544), Israeli occupying forces have killed 13 more
Palestinians bringing the total number of Palestinian martyrs to 497. (The
names of the martyrs are contained in the annex to the present letter). The
number of injuries, many critical, also continues to rise each day as a result
of the violent and criminal actions of the occupying forces. In addition, the
draconian measures taken by Israel, which include the tightening of all kinds
of closures on the entire Palestinian people, with severe restrictions on the
movement of persons and goods, continue to exacerbate the grave living
conditions of the Palestinian people.
Further, I am writing this letter in follow-up to our
previous letters to you on this grave and ongoing situation in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem, dated from 29 September 2000 to 31
May 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;and
A/ES-10/89-S/2001/544).
Names of Martyrs killed by Israeli occupying forces
In the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including
Jerusalem*
(Tuesday, 31 May 2001 through Monday, 11 June 2001)
Tuesday, 31 May 2001
- Ahmed Saleh Abu Hilu (17 years old)
- Khalil Afanah (10 years old)
Sunday, 3 June 2001
- Ziad Mahmoud Abu Eid
- Ayad Mahmoud Abu Eid
Monday, 4 June 2001
Mazen Lufty Al-Joulany (from wounds sustained on 3 June 2001)
Thursday, 7 June 2001
Jameel Kasem Al-Deek
Ashraf Al-Berdowil
Saturday, 9 June 2001
- Salimah Omar Al-Malalha
- Nasrah Salem Al-Malalha
- Hikmat Atallah Al-Malalha ( 16 years old)
Sunday, 10 June 2001
- Mohammed Abdel Rahman Hassan Al-Kurdy (18 years old)
- Ameen Mohammed Mahmoud Awad
Monday, 11 June 2001
- Naseem Ibrahim Al-Agha
* Total number of Palestinian martyrs killed by Israeli occupying forces
since 28 September 2000 = 497