19 October 2015 – Israeli Crimes and Rising Palestinian Casualties

Excellency,

The situation on the ground in Occupied Palestine, including East Jerusalem, is deteriorating at an alarming rate due to the escalation of Israel’s latest campaign of military aggression against the Palestinian people. Over the past 19 days, the occupying Power has intensified its attacks against the Palestinian civilians and destructive actions in the Palestine land in grave breach of international law, including international humanitarian law and the relevant provisions regarding the protection of civilians in armed conflict and in grave breach of the prohibitions against reprisals and collective punishment against the civilian population under occupation.

In this regard, Palestinian civilian casualties are mounting as a result of this brutal and criminal Israeli onslaught, with numerous Palestinians dead and injured in recent days by the occupying forces. Since this most recent Israeli aggression began 19 days ago, 46 Palestinians have been killed and more than 1,800 Palestinians have been injured, including hundreds of children.  We thus reiterate our urgent appeal to the international community, including the Security Council, to take all necessary measures to provide the defenseless and occupied Palestinian civilian population with protection and to immediately act to compel a halt to the occupying Power’s violations of international law, including humanitarian and human rights law.

The international community must condemn and reject the fact that Israel, the occupying Power, allows not only for its occupying forces to use excessive and indiscriminate force against the Palestinian civilian population with impunity but also allows and encourages all Israeli citizens and settlers to carry weapons and roam the occupied land as they wishes, creating de facto militia forces that are gravely threatening the safety and well-being of the Palestinian people.  This has obviously added another layer of oppression and fear to spread among our people as incitement by Israeli officials and the Israeli public in general aimed at harming Palestinians has become rampant as is the culture of impunity for any Israeli who commits crimes against Palestinians.

The following are some of the many crimes perpetrated by the Israeli occupying forces and terrorist settlers against the Palestinian people in recent days:

  • On 14 October 2015:
    • Ahmed Abu Sha’ban (age 23) was shot dead by the Israeli occupying forces in the area of the “central bus station” west of Occupied Jerusalem.
    • Alaa Abu Jamal (age 33), died from wounds sustained in an attack by Israeli occupying forces on 13 October 2015.
  • On 15 October 2015
    • Riyad Dar Yousef (age 46), was attacked along with his family, by Israeli settlers as he tended to his olive grove in Al-Janiya. He died shortly after from a heart attack.

 

  • On 16 October 2015
    • Ihab Jihad Hanani (age 19) was shot dead by Israeli occupying forces in Nablus.
    • Yahiya Farhat (age 24) was shot dead by Israeli occupying forces in the Gaza Strip.
    • Mahmoud Hatim Hmeid (age 22) was shot dead by Israeli occupying forces in Gaza.
    • Shawiq Jamal Jabr (age 37), who was shot by Israeli occupying forces in Gaza last week, died from his wounds.
    • Eyad Khalil Awawdeh (age 26) was shot dead near the illegal settlement of “Kiryat Arba” in Al-Khalil.
  • 17 October 2015
    • Mu’taz Owaisat (age 16), was shot and killed by Israeli occupying forces in Jabal Al-Mukaber in Occupied East Jerusalem.
    • Fadil Al-Qawasmi (age 18) was forcefully captured by a terrorist settler in central Al-Khalil and when Fadil tried to leave the area, the terrorist settler shot him. He was left to bleed to death by Israeli occupying forces who witnessed and were present at the scene.
    • Bayan Ayman Al-Esseili (age 17) was shot dead by Israeli occupying forces in Al-Khalil.
    • Israeli occupying forces violently prevented Palestinian farmers from picking their olive trees in the village of Burin, south of Nablus.
    • Omar Mohamed Al-Faqih (age 24), was shot Israeli occupying forces at Qalandiya checkpoint, north of Occupied East Jerusalem, and was left to bleed to death.
    • Tareq Ziad Al-Natsheh (age 22), was shot and killed by Israeli occupying forces in Al-Shuhada Street in Al-Khalil.
    • More than 200 Israeli settlers, backed by Israeli occupying forces, attacked the Palestinian villages of Wad Al-Haseen and Wad Al-Nasara near the illegal Israeli settlement of “Kiryat Arba”, in Al-Khalil. During the attack, terrorist Israeli settlers threw stones and firebombs at Palestinian homes and injured at least three people, including Imad (age 40), Abdullah (age 13), and Mohamed (age 17); Mohamed’s injuries were the most serious as he was hit in the chest with one of the fire bombs.
  • 18 October 2015
    • Terrorist settlers attempted to kidnap two Palestinians from Burin, south of Nablus.
    • Israeli occupying forces fired tear gas canisters and stun grenades inside a boys’ secondary school in Jenin while students were still inside, causing fear and panic to spread, while groups of settlers attempted to storm Yabod town, west of Jenin.
    • Israeli occupying forces began installing a large concrete wall in Occupied East Jerusalem to separate the Palestinian neighborhood of Jabal Al-Mukabbir from a nearby illegal Israeli settlement of “Armon Hanatziv”.
    • Huda Mohamed Darwish (age 65) died from breathing difficulties due to Israeli tear gas inhalation.
  • 19 October 2015
    • Over the past 19 days, the Palestinian Health Ministry has reported that 46 Palestinians, including 10 children, have been killed by Israeli occupying forces. During that same time, a Palestinian political prisoner also died of medical neglect. In addition, 1,850 Palestinians have been shot with live ammunition and rubber-coated steel bullets, with some suffering burns and others beaten and assaulted by occupying forces and settlers, while more than 3,500 have suffered the effects of tear gas inhalation.
    • The Ministry of Health also reports that the occupying forces have carried out 136 attacks against medical crews since the beginning of the month, wounding 165 medics, while 39 ambulances have been hit with gas bombs and grenades. Moreover, occupying forces stopped and delayed ambulances on 32 occasions as they were attempting to transport or reach wounded Palestinian civilians, with such obstruction undoubtedly contributing to the number of fatalities.
    • The health condition of two Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli jails have been deteriorating due to deliberate medical negligence, according to the Commission of Prisoners’ Affairs.
    • At least nine Palestinians were left homeless after settlers escorted and protected by Israeli occupying forces forcibly evicted them from their homes in Silwan in Occupied East Jerusalem.

As the violations against Palestinian children continue to multiply, we continue to insist again that the Israeli Government, the Israeli occupying forces and Israeli settler militias belong on the list of grave violators of child rights in the context of the Report of the Secretary-General on Children and Armed Conflict, and we will not relent in calling for such listing in the face of ongoing violations and crimes against our innocent and defenseless children.

Given that the occupying Power has chosen to escalate the perilous situation rather than to de-escalate, we once again reiterate our urgent appeal to the Security Council of the United Nations to uphold its Charter duties and act to bring an end to this Israeli aggression and to protect the Palestinian civilian population.  A strong message must be sent to Israel, the occupying Power, to cease immediately its military campaign and call for its occupying forces to abide by the law, disarm its settlers and citizens and hold them accountable for their crimes against the Palestinian people and their land.  This will be the only way to de-escalate this dangerous situation, to save lives, promote calm and revive some hope that a peaceful solution to end Israel’s occupation, which would allow the Palestinian people to live in freedom and dignity in their own State of Palestine, with East Jerusalem as its capital, still actually exists .

This letter is in follow-up to our 559 previous letters regarding the ongoing crisis in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, which constitutes the territory of the State of Palestine.  These letters, dated from 29 September 2000 (A/55/432-S/2000/921) to 14 October 2015 (A/ES-/10/xxx- S/2015/xxx) constitute a basic record of the crimes being committed by Israel, the occupying Power, against the Palestinian people since September 2000.  For all of these war crimes, acts of State terrorism and systematic human rights violations being committed against the Palestinian people, Israel, the occupying Power, must be held accountable and the perpetrators must be brought to justice.

I should be grateful if you would arrange to have the text of the present letter distributed as a document of the tenth emergency special session of the General Assembly, under agenda item 5, and of the Security Council.

Please accept, Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Dr. Riyad Mansour

Ambassador, Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine to the United Nations

 

 

14 October 2015 – Israel’s Killing of Palestinian Civilians, including Children

Excellency,

Since our last letter to you, on 12 October 2015, the Palestinian civilian population, including women and children, have continued to be killed, injured and terrorized as a result of Israel’s latest rampage of aggression throughout the Occupied State of Palestine, including East Jerusalem.   As we continue to write these letters, we must emphasize that the purpose of writing them is not only to place on record the long list of crimes committed by the occupying Power against a defenseless and occupied civilian population but aimed at mobilizing the international community, in particular the Security Council, to immediately act to halt all of the occupying Power’s violations of international law, including humanitarian and human rights law.

Further, as more and more Palestinian civilians, especially young children, are being killed and severely injured by live ammunition, we continue to call on the international community to provide the Palestinian people with international protection.  It is without a doubt, that each day that passes the situation is worsening and if the occupying Power continues to pursue its acts of aggression, collective punishment and State terrorism against an occupied people that has already suffered so much over the past five decades of Israeli occupation, the situation will hit a breaking point that may become impossible to stabilize.

The following are some of the many crimes that continue to be perpetrated by the Israeli occupying forces and terrorist settlers against the Palestinian people. This includes the latest Palestinian casualties caused by the violence and terror of the occupying Power against our defenseless civilians:

On 13 October 2015:

  • According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, as of 13 October 2015, thirty Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli occupying forces since the beginning of this month, and over 1,400 Palestinians were injured by live ammunition and rubber-coated steel bullets used by the Israeli occupying forces across the West Bank, Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip. Moreover, at least 33 journalists have been injured since the beginning of October 2015, 15 of them were injured with live and rubber coated bullets.
  • Alaa Abu Jamal (age 33) was shot in East Jerusalem by Israeli occupying forces and was seized afterwards by Israeli occupying forces.
  • The occupying Power took a decision to seal off Palestinian neighborhoods in East Jerusalem and to erect additional checkpoints clearly constituting a form of collective punishment in violation of the occupying Power’s obligations under the Fourth Geneva Convention. In a statement, Human Rights Watch stated that: “Locking down East Jerusalem neighborhoods will infringe upon the freedom of movement of all Palestinian residents rather than being a narrowly tailored response to a specific concern. The checkpoints are a recipe for harassment and abuse.” Frightfully, it was also decided that the occupying Power would make obtaining permits for personal fire arms even easier for Israeli individuals.
  • Mutaz Ibrahim Zawahreh (age 27), from the Dheisheh refugee camp, was shot and killed by the occupying forces with a live bullet in the chest during a military raid in Bethlehem.
  • According to the Red Crescent, over 400 Palestinians were injured during raids by the occupying forces on 13 October in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip, at least 31 of whom were shot with live ammunition.
  • Terrorist settlers attacked olive farmers near Turmus’ayya and Tal villages, south and west of Nablus, and stoned Palestinian cars on the Ramallah-Nablus Road as well as near the town of Yatta in Al-Khalil.
  • Several farmers, including Mohammad Ishtayeh, Ahmad Hindi, Meqdad Zeidan and Karim Ramadan, were detained and attacked by the terrorist settlers, under the watch and protection of Israeli occupying forces.

On 14 October 2015

  • A total of 36 Palestinians were detained overnight and on Wednesday and 4 others were summoned by Israeli forces throughout the West Bank.
  • A 13-year-old Palestinian boy was shot in the eye and seriously injured with a rubber-coated steel bullet in Surif town, northeast of Al-Khalil.
  • Israeli settlers set fire to large swaths of Palestinian-owned agricultural land near the village of Burin, south of Nablus in the West Bank.
  • Bare’ Ismael Shalash (age 17) was shot and injured in Beit Awwa, west of Al-Khalil.
  • Palestinian detainee Fadi Al-Darbi (age 30), who had suffered a stroke while in Israeli captivity in prison, died in an Israeli hospital.
  • Basel Sidr (age 20) was shot with more than 10 bullets and left to bleed on the ground until he died at the Damascus Gate in Occupied East Jerusalem.

As the violations against Palestinian children continue to multiply, we continue to insist again that the Israeli Government, the Israeli occupying forces and Israeli settler militias belong on the list of grave violators of child rights in the context of the Report of the Secretary-General on Children and Armed Conflict, and we will not relent in calling for such listing in the face of ongoing violations and crimes against our innocent and defenseless children.

It is without a doubt that the above-mentioned violations are in grave breach of international humanitarian law, as well as international criminal law as articulated in the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. For these war crimes, we will continue to seek accountability and justice through all legal and peaceful means.  At the same time, we call again on the international community, particularly the Security Council, to act now to protect the Palestinian people and diffuse this dangerous situation, which clearly constitutes a threat to international peace and security.

The international community must ensure that international protection is provided to the Palestinian people in order to spare them of more loss and suffering.  As we have stated in the past, the Palestinian people cannot remain the exception to the responsibility to protect civilians from atrocities and flagrant breaches of the law for they are not just statistics but human beings whose lives are being constantly shattered by a brutal occupier that proves over and over again its total disregard for the lives and rights of the Palestinian people and total contempt for international law.  The time is now for the international community to finally bring an end to Israel’s impunity and to justly resolve this conflict and bring overdue justice to the Palestinian people.

This letter is in follow-up to our 558 previous letters regarding the ongoing crisis in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, which constitutes the territory of the State of Palestine.  These letters, dated from 29 September 2000 (A/55/432-S/2000/921) to 12 October 2015 (A/ES-/10/xxx- S/2015/xxx) constitute a basic record of the crimes being committed by Israel, the occupying Power, against the Palestinian people since September 2000.  For all of these war crimes, acts of State terrorism and systematic human rights violations being committed against the Palestinian people, Israel, the occupying Power, must be held accountable and the perpetrators must be brought to justice.

I should be grateful if you would arrange to have the text of the present letter distributed as a document of the tenth emergency special session of the General Assembly, under agenda item 5, and of the Security Council.

Please accept, Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Dr. Riyad Mansour

Ambassador, Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine to the United Nations

12 October 2015 – Israeli Crimes and Violations

Excellency,

Since our last letter to you, on 9 October 2015, I regret to inform you that the situation in the Occupied State of Palestine, including East Jerusalem, continues to deteriorate at an alarming rate as a result of Israel’s crimes and violations against the Palestinian people held hostage to its occupation.  This situation warrants immediate attention by the international community, in particular the Security Council, to act to halt all violations of international law, including humanitarian and human rights law, committed by the occupying Power against the Palestinian people, as well as to provide the Palestinian people with international protection before the situation spirals further out of control.  Each day that passes, more innocent lives are lost as is any hope to reach a peaceful two-State solution in the future.

The following are just some tragic examples of the latest Palestinian casualties and human rights violations caused by the brutal raids and attacks of the occupying forces and their terrorist settlersover the past three days. The list also includes some additional violations by the Israeli occupying forces against the Palestinian population under its occupation: [Read more…]

9 October 2015 – Israel’s Intensification of its Onslaught against the Palestinian People

Excellency,

The situation in Occupied Palestine, including East Jerusalem, continues to deteriorate at an alarming rate due to the escalation of Israel’s latest campaign of military aggression against the Palestinian people.  In recent days, the occupying Power has intensified its onslaught against the Palestinian civilian Palestinian, including in occupied Gaza Strip, in grave breach of international law, including international humanitarian law and the relevant provisions on the protection of civilians in armed conflict and in grave breach of the prohibition of collective punishment against the civilian population under occupation.

Casualties and injuries among the Palestinian civilian population, including women and children, are tragically mounting. Today, seven more Palestinians were killed at the hands of the occupying forces.  Six of those killed were from the occupied Gaza Strip, where more than 1.8 million Palestinians continue to live under an illegal and immoral Israeli blockade.  In Gaza, Israeli occupying forces fired at peaceful demonstrators in an area east of Al-Shujaiyeh neighborhood, killing Ahmed Al-Hirbawi, Shadi Dawla, Ziyad Nabeel Sharaf and Abed al-Wahidi, all aged 20, while Mohammad Al-Raqeb, age 15, was killed after being shot by occupying forces near Khan Younis. Another Palestinian youth, Adnan Abu Alayyan, age 19, was also killed east of Khan Yunis. More than 150 Palestinian civilians, among them many children, were injured as a result of the excessive and disproportionate force by the occupying Power. [Read more…]

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…]

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…]

5 November 2014 – Jerusalem: Continued Israeli Provocations and Illegal Settlements

Excellency,

I have been instructed to once again draw your urgent attention to the critical situation and dangerously rising tensions in Occupied East Jerusalem due to the continuation of illegal actions, consisting of 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.  Provocations and incitement have intensified in both frequency and aggressiveness in the recent weeks and continue to aggravate religious sensitivities and the fragile and volatile situation on the ground, threatening to precipitate a religious conflict and to plunge the region into further instability and violence.

For the second time in a week, Israeli occupying forces sealed Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, preventing the entry of Palestinian worshippers.  This provocative action set off another round of clashes between Palestinians and Israeli extremists, who continue to agitate at this Holy Site. In what can only be seen as a clear attempt to stoke already-high tensions, early this morning, a group of Israeli extremists, protected by more than 300 Israeli occupying forces, stormed the compound firing stun grenades and rubber-coated bullets at Palestinian worshippers, causing serious injuries to at least 30 people, inflicting serious injuries on two of the worshippers.  Moreover, it was reported that Israeli extremists entered Al-Aqsa mosque with their shoes on in a shameful sign of disrespect and with the purpose to infuriate Palestinian worshippers while eyewitnesses at the scene reported that occupying forces threw books of the Holy Quran on the floor. [Read more…]

30 October 2014 – Closure of Al-Haram Al-Sharif and Killings in East Jerusalem

Excellency,

The Security Council emergency session that was convened yesterday to address the crisis in Occupied East Jerusalem underscored the unanimous international concerns and condemnations regarding the provocations and incitement by Israel, the occupying Power, and its extremist settlers at holy sites in the City, as well as the illegality of Israeli settlement activities and all other measures aimed at altering the demography, character and status of the City.

All were in agreement about the gravity and the many dangers of the continuation of this illegal situation. And, all were in agreement about the urgent need to immediately diffuse tensions and to avert any further aggravation of religious sensitivities by ensuring respect for Holy Sites, with particular focus on Al-Haram Al-Sharif, home to Al-Aqsa Mosque, which continues to be targeted by Israeli provocation and incitement, and the need to uphold the historic status quo in this regard. [Read more…]

29 October 2014 – Statement by Ambassador Dr. Riyad Mansour before the United Nations Security Council Emergency Meeting on the Situation in Occupied East Jerusalem

Mme. President,

I thank you for your swift response to our urgent appeal and to the formal request by Jordan, the Arab representative on the Security Council, to convene this emergency meeting to address the critical situation in Occupied East Jerusalem, which clearly has bearing on the crisis situation in the rest of Palestine as well as in the region and far beyond.

Mme. President,

Jerusalem, the Holy City for the three monotheistic religions, was and remains the key to peace.  The City is the heart of Palestine and has historically been the religious, political, social, economic and cultural center for the Palestinian people for centuries.  And, Jerusalem, a theater for both conflict and peace, has always maintained an Arab and Islamic identity, and it will remain so.

Yet, Jerusalem is under siege, as Israel, the occupying Power, continues the reckless attempts to change its character, falsify its history, alter its demography, and negate Palestinian rights and connection to Jerusalem.  Israeli provocations and incitement, particularly at Al-Haram Al-Sharif, home to the holy Al-Aqsa Mosque and Qubbat Al-Sakhra (Dome of the Rock), are further inflaming this volatile situation, aggravating religious sentiments, deepening mistrust, and threatening to ignite yet another cycle of violence, including instigation of religious conflict. Such illegal Israeli actions are severely exacerbating the conflict and obstructing a peaceful solution, with grave implications.

We have thus been instructed by President Mahmoud Abbas to bring this crisis situation to the urgent attention of the Security Council, in full recognition of its Charter duty for the maintenance of international peace and security. [Read more…]

27 October 2014 – Israeli Provocations and Settlements Occupied East Jerusalem

Excellency,

I write to urgently draw your attention, yet again, to the dangerously escalating tensions in Occupied East Jerusalem, the capital of the State of Palestine.  The illegal policies and the constant provocations and incitement by Israel, the occupying Power, and its settlers and other extremists against the Palestinian people, their land and their holy places are exacerbating already-high tensions, risking further turmoil and destabilization of the extremely fragile situation on the ground, as reflected in the growing number of protests and clashes, particularly in Occupied East Jerusalem.

In grave breach of international law and in total contempt of the repeated international demands for cessation, Israel, the occupying Power, continues its illegal settlement campaign, which is clearly aimed at entrenching its illegitimate control over the Palestinian land it has belligerently occupied since 1967 and systematically destroying the two-State solution. This relentless colonization campaign has been most flagrant in Occupied East Jerusalem, with continued seizure of Palestinian properties, violent attacks on Palestinian civilians, demolition of Palestinian homes, forced displacement of Palestinian residents of the City, and provocative declarations regarding the construction of settlements. [Read more…]