7 October 2015 – Israeli Escalation of Aggression and Violations against the Palestinian People

Excellency,

Although I have just submitted a letter to Your Excellency only two days ago, the intensifying aggression by Israel, the occupying Power, against the Palestinian people in the Occupied State of Palestine, including East Jerusalem, compels me to submit a follow-up letter today.  The Palestinian leadership appeals to the international community, particularly the Security Council, to act immediately to halt all Israeli violations of international law, including humanitarian law and human rights law, against the unprotected, defenseless Palestinian civilian population.  Below is a summary of those violations from just the past 24 hours.

The Palestine Red Crescent is reporting that more than 130 Palestinians, including children, have been injured by Israeli occupying forces, at least 50 injured by live ammunition, bringing the total number of Palestinians injured to 630 since Saturday, 3 October 2015, as the occupying forces continue their raids of Palestinian areas and attacks on civilians.  A large number of the injured are in critical condition, many who are undergoing lifesaving operations, including at least two Palestinians who were shot in the head with rubber bullets.  Since Friday, 2 October 2015, Israeli occupying forces have also carried out 27 attacks on Red Crescent emergency relief teams, leaving 17 staff members injured and 10 ambulances damaged.

Israel’s extremist settlers and religious zealots also continue their reign of terror on the Palestinian civilian population with complete impunity.  Since our last letter, extremist settlers injured at least two Palestinians, including Osama Abu Qubita, age 10, whose home they attacked in the south of Al-Khalil.  Osama had to be transferred to a hospital for treatment as a result of an injury to his head.  Also, today, a Palestinian girl, Shurouq Dwayyat, age 18, was seriously injured when she was shot by an Israeli settler in the Old City of Jerusalem.  Extremist settlers also intercepted the convoy of the Prime Minister of the State of Palestine, Dr. Rami Hamdallah, and shouted racist slogans while calling for the death of Palestinians. [Read more…]

5 October 2015 – High Tensions and Palestinian Casualties

Excellency,

I must draw your urgent attention to the alarming situation in Occupied Palestine, particularly in East Jerusalem, where rising tensions are fueling another cycle of violence, leading to loss of innocent civilian lives and a steep deterioration of conditions on the ground.

The backdrop to all of this is Israel’s ongoing foreign occupation of Palestine and its brutal repression, collective punishment, humiliation of the Palestinian civilian population. While the occupying Power persists with its violations and oppressive measures against the Palestinian people, its occupying forces, extremist settlers and religious zealots have unleashed a barrage of violence and terror against the Palestinian people, causing death and injury of Palestinian civilians and destruction of Palestinian homes and property. Moreover, repeated aggressions, provocations and incitement, by both Israeli extremists and government officials, against Al-Haram Al-Sharif in Occupied East Jerusalem and the rights of Muslim worshippers therein are exacerbating religious sensitivities and have heightened the risk of outbreak of a religious conflict with extremely dangerous ramifications.  Immediate international attention is required to compel a halt to Israel’s illegal policies and practices, ensure immediate protection to the defenseless Palestinian civilian population, and avert the situation from spiraling out of control. [Read more…]

Statement by H.E. Mr. Mahmoud Abbas President of the State of Palestine at the General Debate of the United Nations General Assembly at its 70th Session, New York 30 September 2015

In the name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful

 

H.E. Mr. Mogens Lykketoft, President of the General Assembly,

H.E Mr. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations,

Excellencies, Heads of Delegations

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I come before you today from Palestine, compelled to sound the alarm about the grave dangers of what is happening in Jerusalem, where extremist Israeli groups are committing repeated, systematic incursions upon Al-Aqsa Mosque, aimed at imposing a new reality and dividing Al-Haram Al-Sharif temporally, allowing extremists, under the protection of Israeli occupying forces and accompanying ministers and Knesset members, to enter the Mosque at certain times, while preventing Muslim worshipers from accessing and entering the Mosque at those times and freely exercising their religious rights. [Read more…]

22 September 2015 – Israeli Escalation in Al-Haram Al-Sharif

Excellency,

In follow-up to our last letter dated 14 September 2015, I must continue to draw your urgent attention to the dangerously rising tensions in Occupied East Jerusalem.  The illegal policies and the constant provocations and incitement by Israel, the occupying Power, and its extremist settlers against the Palestinian people, their land and their holy places, especially at Al-Aqsa Mosque compound (Al-Haram Al-Sharif), continue to exacerbate tensions and religious sensitivities between the Palestinian people and the occupying Power and risk further destabilization of an already very fragile situation on the ground.  [Read more…]

14 September 2015 – Incitement Raises Tensions at Al-Aqsa Compound in Jerusalem

Excellency,

I write to draw your urgent attention to the rising tensions in Occupied East Jerusalem. The illegal actions and constant provocations and incitement by Israel, the occupying Power, including in particular by right-wing Israeli government officials, extremist settlers and religious zealots, against the Palestinian people, their land and their holy places are aggravating already-high tensions, religious sensitivities and the fragile situation on the ground, threatening to ignite religious conflict and further destabilize the region, which is already experiencing unprecedented instability and upheaval.

For two consecutive days, extremist Israelis escorted by occupying forces broke into Al-Aqsa Mosque compound (Al-Haram Al-Sharif), the third holiest site in Islam, in Occupied East Jerusalem. Israeli occupying forces injured and detained Palestinian worshipers, prevented the entry of Palestinian worshipers and instigated violent confrontations, using tear gas, stun grenades and rubber coated steel bullets.  At least 110 Palestinian civilians, including worshippers, Mosque guards, reporters and cameramen, have been injured and occupying forces obstructed ambulances from reaching the injured.  20 of the injured have been transferred to the hospital, with three in critical condition suffering injuries to the head and chest areas, including Anas Siyam, a Palestinian boy, who was hit with a rubber coated steel bullet in the chest.  Sheikh Omar Al-Kiswani, Director of the compound, was also assaulted by Israeli occupying forces. Reports indicate that an elderly man was shot with a rubber coated steel bullet in his eye and Tamer Khalaf, age 29, was assaulted and sprayed with toxic gas prior to being detained by occupying forces. [Read more…]

11 September 2015 – The Death of Riham Dawabsha

Excellency,

Yesterday, 10 September 2015, the General Assembly overwhelmingly voted in favor of the resolution on the raising of flags of non-member Observer States at the United Nations, namely the flags of the State of Palestine and the Holy See. It is without a doubt, that yesterday’s historic vote reaffirms the legitimacy of the national aspirations of the Palestinian people, of their existence among the nations of the world and their right to self-determination in their own independent State of Palestine, with East Jerusalem as its capital. We realize that raising our flag will neither end the occupation or the cruel subjugation of the Palestinian people but it will help restore some hope to the Palestinian people and its leadership as they continue on the peaceful, non-violent, political, legal path to fulfill their rights.  This is ever so important, especially given light of the deteriorating situation on the ground in the Occupied State of Palestine, including East Jerusalem, as a result of Israel’s illegal actions and practices.

In this regard, it is with great sadness that we must include in our letter today the tragic news that Riham Dawabsha, age 27, has become the 3rd member of her family who has succumbed to her wounds and died as a result of the heinous terrorist arson attack that engulfed her home in the West Bank town of Duma in flames on 31 July. Riham, the mother of 18-month old Ali who was burned alive and wife of Saad, who died of his wounds on 8 August, sustained third-degree burns on 90 percent of her body.  She fought for her life in a hospital bed for five-weeks until her condition took a turn for the worse. Riham is survived by her son, Ahmad, age 4, the only living member of the family, who lies in a hospital bed suffering from massive burns to his small body. Ahmad, like so many Palestinian children, is now an orphan without a mother, father or siblings-a fate that sadly many more Palestinian children will suffer from if Israeli settler terrorists are not held accountable for their crimes.  [Read more…]

8 September 2015 – Palestine Refugee Plight in the Region

Excellency,

I write to you upon instructions from President Mahmoud Abbas with regard to an issue of utmost priority for the Palestinian people and their leadership, namely the plight of the Palestine refugees.

As conflict and upheaval continue to plague the region, the suffering of the Palestine refugees has markedly intensified as they are among the millions of civilians that have been severely affected by the spreading instability, particularly as a result of the crisis in Syria and the spillover effect in Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey and elsewhere in the region. In the midst of this turmoil, Palestine refugee men, women and children have been enduring death, injury, starvation, destruction of their homes and communities, repeated displacement and dispossession, and drowning and death in the waters of the Mediterranean Sea as they have tried to escape the conflict and the human insecurity, poverty and endless suffering it has inflicted on so many innocent civilians. [Read more…]

Statement by Ambassador Dr. Riyad Mansour, Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine to the United Nations, at the United Nations General Assembly Vote on the Draft Resolution (A/69/L.87/Rev.1) on the Raising of Flags of Non-Member Observer States (Item 120: Strengthening of the United Nations System), 10 September 2015:

Mr. President,

On behalf of the State of Palestine, I am honored to address the General Assembly following its historic vote and adoption of the resolution on the raising of flags of non-member Observer States at the United Nations, namely the flags of the State of Palestine and the Holy See.

We are grateful to all of the Member States that supported this resolution and convey the deepest appreciation of the Palestinian people and their leadership for the honorable position they have taken on this most meaningful issue for our people. We also express special thanks to the cosponsors of the resolution for their consummate support for this initiative, consistent with their abiding support for the just cause of Palestine. The positive votes of Member States today constitute a reaffirmation of the longstanding, principled position of the international community in support of a just, lasting, comprehensive and peaceful solution to the question of Palestine and in support of the realization of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, including to self-determination and independence.  [Read more…]

12 August 2015 – Israeli Settler Terror in Occupied Palestine and Israeli Force-Feeding Law

Excellency,

I write to draw your urgent attention to the precarious situation in the Occupied State of Palestine due to the illegal actions, provocations and incitement by Israel, the occupying Power, particularly acts of terror against the Palestinian people and their properties, by Israeli terrorist settlers in violation of international law, human rights law and international humanitarian law, with total impunity. The most recent incident, a vicious terrorist attack against the Dawabsha family, which took place in the village of Duma near Nablus on 31 July. In this horrific incident, a group of Israeli terrorist settlers set the Dawabsha family home on fire resulting in the murder of Ali Saad Dawabsha, an 18-month old infant who was burned to death. This malicious terror act also killed Ali’s father, Saad Dawabsha, age 32,who had burns on 80 percent of his body and sadly succumbed to his wounds on 8 August. Ali’s mother, Riham, age 30, and brother, Ahmad, age 4, continue to struggle for their lives as a result of third-degree burns covering most of their bodies sustained from this terrorist arson act. [Read more…]

5 August 2015 – UNRWA Financial Crisis and Impact on Palestine Refugees

Excellency,

I write to draw the urgent attention of the international community to the serious financial crisis of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), echoing the appeals by UNRWA Commissioner-General, Mr. Pierre Krähenbühl, in his special report of 3 August 2015 and at the extraordinary session of the Advisory Commission of UNRWA on 26 July 2015, as well as the appeals by Your Excellency and the President of the General Assembly for the provision of immediate support and adequate resources to overcome this crisis and preserve the Agency’s core services and programs, on which the Palestine refugees are reliant, including the 500,000 children who attend UNRWA schools. [Read more…]