Statement by Ambassador Ms. Feda Abdelhady-Nasser before the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (4th Committee), Agenda Item 55: Report of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories, 11 November 2015:

Mr. Chair,

At the outset, I convey Palestine’s deep appreciation to the members of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories – Ambassador Amrith Rohan Perera of Sri Lanka, Chair of the Committee, Ambassador Ramlan Bin Ibrahim of Malaysia and Minister Counsellor Aboubacar Sadikh Barry of Senegal. We thank them for their efforts in upholding the Special Committee’s mandate, despite the obstacles in this regard – namely the continued refusal by Israel, the occupying Power, to cooperate with the Special Committee in violation of its obligations as a Member State of the United Nations – and for their comprehensive report (A/70/406-A/70/406/Corr.1) on the critical human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the Occupied Syrian Golan during the past year. [Read more…]

17 November 2015 – Continued Israeli Violations and Crimes against the Palestinian People

Excellency,

We are compelled to draw your attention to the continuously rising tensions and violence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem – the territory constituting the State of Palestine – as Israel, the occupying Power, continues its military aggressions and human rights violations against the Palestinian people.

Israeli occupying forces continue to use excessive force against Palestinian civilians, including against children and peaceful demonstrators, causing death and injury and destruction of property.  Moreover, Israel has been unrelenting in its pursuit of illegal colonization practices, with settlement and wall construction continuing unabated. For example, just in this past week the occupying Power approved the construction of 891 settlement “units” in the illegal settlement of “Gilo” and approved the construction of 450 more settlement “units” in the illegal settlements of “Ramat Shlomo” and “Ramot”, all in Occupied East Jerusalem.  At the same time, Israel continues to impose countless collective punishment measures on the Palestinian people, including, inter alia, home demolitions and its blockade on the Gaza Strip.  The destructive impact of such Israeli violations on the situation on the ground is immense, as reflected in rising tensions, deteriorating socio-economic conditions, and deepening anger and frustration among the Palestinian civilian population living under this nearly fifty-year old Israeli occupation.  [Read more…]

11 November 2015 – Israeli Violations and Crimes against the Palestinian People

Excellency,

The situation in the Occupied State of Palestine, including East Jerusalem, remains extremely volatile as Israel, the occupying Power, persists with its violations of international law, including humanitarian and human rights law, causing the continued deterioration of the situation in all aspects, including the continued suffering of the Palestinian people under its occupation, and further deepening despair and inflaming already heightened tensions.

In word and deed, the occupying Power has rejected to de-escalate tensions and has instead continued with its oppressive measures and excessive use of force against the Palestinian civilian population.  This is evidenced by the fact that since the beginning of October¸ the Palestinian Ministry of Health has documented that Israeli occupying forces have killed 82 Palestinians, among them 18 children and 4 women; 63 were killed in the West Bank and 18 in the Gaza Strip and one Palestinian was also killed in Beersheba.  Moreover, more than 3,500 Palestinians have been shot and wounded with live and rubber-coated steel bullets and more than 5,000 persons have been treated for excessive tear gas inhalation, while 278 were injured in other ways, including assaults by the occupying forces and burns from tear gas canisters. [Read more…]

3 November 2015 – Israeli Aggression and Culture of Hate against Palestinians

Excellency,Occupation Army Treaten Palestinian Population

I regret that I must once again draw attention to the grave situation in Occupied Palestine, including East Jerusalem, as a direct result of Israel’s persistent aggression against the Palestinian people. Every day reports, witness accounts and videos confirm the continuation of Israel’s lethal and illegal policies and measures against the defenseless Palestinian civilian population, with no one considered too young or too old to be spared.  The casualties continue to rise, fear and tensions are mounting as a result of such Israeli actions and the ongoing incitement and provocations by Israeli government officials and settlers at holy sites and throughout Occupied Palestine, with impunity. If this aggression and stoking of tensions continues, the situation will surely deteriorate further, despair will deepen and any ounce of hope left for a political horizon will disappear.

Indeed, far from de-escalating, the situation remains precarious due to Israel’s insistence on use of violent force and oppressive measures against the Palestinian civilian population and entrenchment of the occupation through all illegal means and measures for the purpose of controlling both the people and the land.  This has been supplemented and supported by a blatant culture of hate cultivated for decades by Israel, the occupying Power, against the Palestinian people under its illegal occupation, a culture of hate that feeds and is manifested in the pervasive aggression, racism and inhumane behavior of the Israeli occupying forces and extremist Israeli settlers towards Palestinians. [Read more…]

29 October 2015 – Israeli Military Aggression against the Palestinian People

 

Excellency,

I write to once again urgently draw the international community’s attention to the grave situation in Occupied Palestine, including East Jerusalem, due to Israel’s ongoing aggression against the Palestinian people. This aggression continues to fuel the cycle of violence and the situation on the ground continues to deteriorate on all fronts. Moreover, it has become overwhelmingly clear that Israeli aggression is in particular targeting Palestinian children and youth, who have been suffering casualties at an alarming rate, including by means of extrajudicial killing, and whose despair is only deepening in the face of the brutality of this illegal occupation.

Despite recent diplomatic efforts, the current situation remains one of pervasive human insecurity, in which the lives, safety and well-being of the Palestinian civilian population are being gravely threatened by the occupying Power and its extremist settlers. It is Palestinian civilians, including children, who continue to be killed, injured and terrorized by Israel, the occupying Power, on a daily basis and who remain in dire need of protection. [Read more…]

21 October 2015 – Danny Danon Lies at First UNSC Media Stakeout

21 Oct 2015 Ltr on DanonExcellency,

I am compelled to write to you today in response to recent fabricated statements made by the new representative of Israel, the occupying Power, Danny Danon, on 16 October 2015, at the United Nations at the Security Council stakeout. Not surprisingly, the statements made, particularly with regard to the State of Palestine’s school curriculum, were completely and utterly false. Danon’s statements about Palestine’s curriculum and textbooks and outright racist accusation that Palestinian children are “being taught to hate” are false and must be rejected.

At his very first UN media stakeout documented on the UN Webcast, Danon stated that “when he [referring to a Palestinian child] opens a textbook to do his homework he doesn’t learn about math and science, he’s being taught to hate.” He then picks up an image of what appears to be a photoshopped human anatomy image with the parts of the human body labeled and then images of knives placed on top along with the title “How to Stab a Jew”. Danon then has the audacity to state “This picture is being taught in middle schools, in high schools, in elementary schools”. [Read more…]

PRESS RELEASE: FACT-CHECKING ISRAEL’S STATEMENT TO THE UNSC

image003On 16 October 2015, Israeli Ambassador Roet addressed the UN Security Council in an emergency session on the escalating situation in Israel and Palestine. Below are his statements followed by facts disproving the statements.

“Israel is facing an onslaught of terrorism; men, women and children are being stabbed to death on the streets on a daily basis. Yet for them there has been no demand for an emergency session at the Security Council.”

Fact: The Palestinian people are a defenseless and unarmed population suffering gross violations of human rights under Israel’s illegal occupation. It is in fact the Israeli occupation that is the source and context of all of the violence, violence that has been inflicted by Israel with total impunity for over 48 years on the Palestinian people.Yet Israel has the audacity to oppose international action to protect the civilian population. [Read more…]

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

 

 

كلمة السفير الدكتور رياض منصور، المراقب الدائم لدولة فلسطين لدى الأمم المتحدة في نيويورك، أمام مجلس الأمن في جلسته الطارئة حول الحالة في الشرق الأوسط، بما في ذلك قضية فلسطين: 16 أكتوبر 2015

السيد الرئيس

أود في بداية كلمتي أن أهنئ البلد الصديق أسبانيا على توليه رئاسة مجلس الأمن لهذا الشهر معرباً عن تقديري لكم على قيادتكم وكفاءتكم في القيام بهذه المهمة على أحسن وجه. كما أتوجه لكم بالشكر على إستجابتكم السريعة في عقد هذه الجلسة الطارئة للمجلس. كما أعرب عن شكرنا وتقديرنا للبلد الصديق الإتحاد الروسي على رئاسته القديرة لمجلس الأمن في الشهر المنصرم. وأتوجه بالشكر والتقدير للسيد مساعد الأمين العام للأمم المتحدة للشؤون السياسية على إحاطته

السيد الرئيس

نأتي إليكم اليوم طالبين تدخلكم العاجل لوقف هذا العدوان الغاشم الذي يتعرض له شعبنا الفلسطيني الأعزل وما تتعرض له مقدساتنا من إنتهاكات جسيمة من قبل الإحتلال العسكري الإسرائيلي والمستوطنين الإسرائيليين والمتطرفين. لقد وثقنا تفاصيل هذا العدوان الهمجي الشرس من خلال خمسة رسائل قمنا بإرسالها إليكم في العشرة الأيام الماضية والذي راح ضحيته منذ بداية هذا الشهر أكثر من 35 شهيداً، من بينهم عدد كبير من الأطفال وأكثر من 1500 جريح بالرصاص الحي والمطاطي ووسائل أخرى، غالبيتهم من القاصرين الذين لاتتجاوز أعمارهم الـ18 عاماً. ولقد شاهدنا جميعاً عبر الفضائيات ووسائل التواصل الإجتماعي الإعدامات الميدانية التي تقوم بها قوات الإحتلال الإسرائيلي للمدنيين الفلسطينيين وإعتقالها لأعداد كبيرة منهم لا لسبب سوى مشاركتهم في مسيرات إحتجاجية ضد الإحتلال الإسرائيلي وممارساته الوحشية وغير القانونية وسعيهم من أجل إنهاء هذا الإحتلال [Read more…]

FACT SHEET: THE STATE OF PALESTINE’S CHILDREN UNDER OCCUPATION

FACT SHEET: THE STATE OF PALESTINE’S CHILDREN UNDER OCCUPATION

“I urge Israel to take concrete and immediate steps, including by reviewing existing policies and practices, to protect children, to prevent the killing and maiming of children, and to respect the special protections afforded to schools and hospitals. An essential measure in that regard is ensuring accountability for perpetrators of alleged violations.”

-Report of the Secretary-General, 5 June 2015

Current Reality

  • One Palestinian child was killed by the IOF every 3 days between 2000 and 2013.[i]
  • 1 October – 13 October: 8 children killed by the IOF across the OPT. This includes Amjad Al-Jundi (17), Abdel-Rahman Obeidallah (11), IshaqBadran (16), Ahmad Sharaka (13), Hasan Khaled Manasra (15), Mohammad Al-Raqab (15), Hesham Barbakh (13), Khalil Othman (15), and Rahaf Hassan (2).[ii]
  • Since 1967, 95,000 Palestinian children have been detained by the IOF, 62% of whom have likely been subjected to some form of physical violence.[iii]
  • Each year, approximately 700 Palestinian children are arrested, interrogated, and detained by the IOF. Children consistently experience strip-searches, physical and psychological abuse, and other forms of harassment and intimidation during forced interrogations and while imprisoned. [iv]
  • 15 – 28 September: 40 children arrested by the IOF in the Jerusalem governorate.[v]
  • 29 September – 5 October: At least 14 children arrested by the IOF in Jerusalem.[vi]
  • Children are severely affected by the current deteriorating situation in the OPT. Since 15 September, the IOF has injured 119 children, detained 75, and temporarily detained 30 at checkpoints and in residential areas.[vii]
  • 15 – 28 September: 43 children injured during clashes with the IOF in the Gaza Strip.[viii]
  • 15 – 28 September: 37 children injured during IOF search and arrest operations in 6 West Bank cities and villages.[ix]

[Read more…]