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4 August 2014 – 28th Day of Israel’s Aggression Against the Palestinian People

18 August 2014 by

Excellency,

The Palestinian death toll continues to rise as Israel, the occupying Power, continues to trap, traumatize and terrorize the more than 1.8 million Palestinians living in the besieged Gaza Strip. The tragic and continuous climb in the number of casualties is reflective of the brutality and indiscriminate nature of Israel’s ongoing onslaught against the Palestinian population in Occupied Gaza, in grave breach of all norms and rules of international humanitarian law and human rights law. The list of war crimes, crimes against humanity and acts of State terrorism by the occupying Power against the defenseless Palestinian civilians captive under its occupation is growing by the minute. It goes without saying that the Palestinian leadership, on behalf of its people, will exert every possible effort to ensure that those responsible for these heinous crimes will be held accountable and brought to justice.  [Read more…]

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1 August 2014 – Israeli Aggression and Collapse of Humanitarian Ceasefire

05 August 2014 by

Excellency,

It is with deep regret and strongest condemnation that I must inform you that, despite the efforts made for and the assurances given regarding the 72-hour humanitarian cease-fire that was jointly announced last night by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and United States Secretary of State John Kerry, Israel, the occupying Power, has continued with its killing spree against Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip, killing today more than 130 people, including many children and women.  At least 28 more bodies have been recovered from under the rubble of Palestinian homes, adding to the escalating toll of death.

Although the ceasefire was to go into effect today at 8:00am (Palestine time), the situation on the ground has further unraveled as the Israeli occupying forces have persisted with the wanton killing of civilians and the destruction of civilian homes and properties, particular in the south of Gaza in Rafah and Khan Younis, and the Israeli government has issued threats of more “crushing” reprisals.  Among those murdered today by the occupying forces were 9 people, all from the same family (Al-Farra family) who were killed in their home in Khan Younis by Israeli tank shelling. Just hours after the above took place, the occupying Power, declared that the ceasefire was effectively over due to the claimed capture of an Israeli occupying soldier in Gaza. Here, it must be noted that, even after the occupying Power declared the cease fire to be over, the Palestinian side in its entirety, reaffirmed their respect for the ceasefire and President Mahmoud Abbas reaffirmed his commitment to dispatch a delegation representing all Palestinians, to head to Cairo to engage in discussions to negotiate a durable, comprehensive ceasefire to bring an end to this horrific violence and to lift the siege of Gaza and address the longstanding, underlying causes of the current crisis. [Read more…]

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18 July 2014 — Statement by Ambassador Dr. Riyad Mansour before the United Nations Security Council, Emergency Meeting

18 July 2014 by

 

Mr. President,

We have called for this emergency meeting of the Security Council due to the existential crisis being faced by the Palestinian people under Israeli occupation.  With every moment that passes, the life of another Palestinian child or mother or father is cruelly taken by the Israeli occupying forces in their murderous rampage of airstrikes and artillery bombardment against civilian areas and now a massive ground invasion in the Gaza Strip, threatening the safety and survival of the entire Palestinian civilian population. As we were driving to this meeting, four additional children were killed. There names are: Rizeq Al Hayek (age 2), Sarah Bustan (age 13), Imad Ilwan (age 7)  Qasem Ilwan (age 10).

[Read more…]

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11 July 2014 — Continuation of the Israeli aggression on the Palestinian People

11 July 2014 by

Excellency,

Over the past 48 hours, Israel, the occupying Power, has continued with its savage military campaign against the Palestinian civilian population in the besieged Gaza Strip, wreaking ever more havoc, death and destruction and declaring the intention to continue attacks, endangering many more innocent lives.  We condemn in the strongest terms this barbaric Israeli aggression and the continued perpetration of State terror against the Palestinian people. We reiterate our call for immediate protection for the Palestinian civilian population from this murderous and criminal Israeli rampage.

Since my last letter, on 9 July, the Israeli occupying forces carried out hundreds more bombings and missile strikes targeting hundreds of locations in Gaza.  Reports indicate that, since the start of this aggression, more than 100 Palestinians have been killed.  This lethal campaign has also wounded over 700 other Palestinians, some critically wounded and struggling for their lives.  The casualties have tragically included dozens of children, among them many children under the age of 5, women and elderly persons, many persons of the same families as well as the killing of entire families.   The following are just some of the names of the Palestinians brutally, willfully murdered by the occupying Power over the past 48 hours:

Salem Qandeel, Amer Al-Fayouni, Bahaa Abu Elail were killed by a strike on their car north of Gaza City;

Mahmoud Al-Haj, Tariq Saad Al-Haj, Saad Mahmoud Al-Haj, Omar Al-Haj, Najla Mahmoud Al-Haj, Amina Al-Haj -all from the same family- were killed by an airstrike on their home west of Khan Younis;

Raed Shalat (age 30) was killed by an airstrike on his home in Al-Nuseirat camp, which also injured his wife and their three children;

Ibrahim Khalil Qanan (age 24) and his brother Mohammed Khalil Qanan (age 25), Ibrahim Swali (age 33) and his brother Mohammed Swali (age 28), Salem Al-Astal (age 55), Mohammed Al-Ackad (age 24) were killed by an Israeli airstrike at crowd that had gathered at a beach café Khan Younis;

Abdullah Abu Ghazl (age 4) was killed and his brother injured by an Israeli airstrike on their home in the Jabaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza;

Hussein Abu Jamei (age 57) and his son Ismail (age 19) were killed by strike on their home in Khan Younis;

Mohammed Ihsan Farawneh (age 19) was killed in an airstrike in Khan Younis;

Mahmoud Wloud, Hazem Baalousha, Alaa Abdel Nabi were all killed by an airstrike on their car in the Al-Saftawi neighborhood in northern Gaza Strip;

Yasmeen Al-Mutaweq (age 4) was killed by an airstrike in southern Gaza Strip;

Ahmed Zaher Hamdan (age 22) died of injuries he sustained in an Israeli airstrike in the previous days;

Mohammed Al-Kahlout was killed in an airstrike east of Jabaliya refugee camp;

Sami Adnan Shildan (age 25) was killed in an airstrike on Al-Zaitoun neighborhood of Gaza City;

Shahd Helmi Al-Qarnawi (age 5) died of injuries she sustained in an Israeli airstrike in the previous days;

AbdelHalim Ashra (age 54) was found under the rubble of his home which was hit by an Israeli war plane in Deir Al-Balah;

Abdallah Abu Mahrouq died of injuries he sustained during an Israeli strike yesterday, 10 July, while he was on his motorcycle in Deir Al-Balah;

Anas  Rizq Abu Al-Kas (age 30) was killed in a strike on Burj Tal Al-Hawa west of Gaza City;

Adnan  Salem Al-Ashhab (age 40) was killed in a strike south of Gaza City;

Mazen Aslan and Shahraman Abu Al-Kas were killed in a strike in Al-Breij camp in central Gaza;

Mohammed Rabii Abu Hmaidan (age 65) was killed by an airstrike in Beit Lahia;

Wisam Abdel Razeq Ghannam (age 23), Mahmoud Abdel Razeq Ghannam, Kifah Shehada (age 20), Ghalia Deeb Ghannam (age 7), Mohammed Mounir Ashour (age 25), were all killed by strike on their home in Rafah;

Nour Marwan Al-Najdi (age 10), was killed by an airstrike on Al-Nahda neighborhood in Rafah;

Saber Sukkar (age 80), Hussein Mohammed Al-Mamlouk (age 47) died of injuries sustained in an Israeli airstrike on Al-Shujaiah neighborhood in Gaza City.

For all of these heinous crimes against the Palestinian people, Israel must be held fully accountable and justice must be achieved for the victims. The failure to do so will only embolden Israel’s impunity, further exacerbating this conflict and deepening the already-grave suffering of the Palestinian people under this illegitimate occupation.  In this connection, we reiterate our urgent call on the international community to act collectively and responsibly to address this crisis. The duties of the international community, including the Security Council, are clear and must be respected and upheld.  International law, including humanitarian and human rights law, must be upheld and must not be allowed to be so flagrantly dismissed without consequence. Immediate action must be undertaken in particular by the Security Council in accordance with its Charter authority to bring a halt to Israel’s onslaught against the Palestinian people and to extinguish the flames of this most recent, deadly cycle of violence that has already claimed too many innocent civilian lives.

This letter is in follow-up to our 505 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 9 July 2014 (A/ES-10/xxx-S/2014/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.

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23 June 2013 – Letter from H.E. Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Palestine to H.E. Secretary-General of the United Nations on Israeli violations in the OPT

02 July 2014 by

Excellency, 

 

I write concerning the large-scale offensive assault launched by Israel, the occupying Power, against Palestinian civilians across the occupied West Bank. Since three settlers, illegally transferred by the occupying Power to the Occupied Palestinian Territory, went missing on 13 June 2014, the occupying Power has taken the Palestinian population hostage. For over a week now, Israeli occupation forces have waged an unrelenting and wide-scale campaign against Palestinian cities, villages, and refugee camps, subjecting the civilian population to a litany of abuses and punitive measures, including a ban on travel for Palestinians residing in Hebron, the largest Palestinian Governorate, home to approximately 800,000 residents.    [Read more…]

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UN Platform for Palestine

09 December 2013 by

UN Platform for Palestine (UNPfP) was created by the Working Group within the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People to foster strong cooperation with civil society organizations (CSOs).

The purpose of UNPfP is to create a central location for CSOs  around the world to inform, share and mobilize among themselves regarding international, regional and local efforts in support of the Palestinian people and the just cause of Palestine. This platform will provide CSOs active on the question of Palestine with the tools to produce a multiplier effect, connect with other groups and hopefully raise greater awareness and support for collective efforts. It will also build a bridge between CSOs and the United Nations and its Member States, including the Committee and its Working Group.

 

 

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Right of Reply – Report of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories

13 November 2013 by

Right of Reply by Ms. Feda Abdelhady-Nasser, Ambassador, Deputy Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine to the United Nations, before the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (4th Committee),

Item 52: “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 2013:

Mr. Chair,

I apologize for requesting the floor once again, however, I am compelled to reply to the statement made by the representative of Israel in today’s debate.

As we stated at the outset of this debate, the report of the Special Committee is neither biased, nor one-sided. The Special Committee’s examination of the situation is clearly in the framework of international and relevant United Nations resolutions.

There is NO distortion of the truth.  There is no “discrediting” of Israel by the Committee; the Committee is reporting FACTS – facts regarding the egregious, systematic violations – many amounting to war crimes – being perpetrated by Israel, the occupying Power, against the Palestinian people under its occupation.  Its blatant, deliberate, consistent non-compliance with international law and its complete disrespect for the UN and the international community are what single Israel out.  And, yet, Israel continues to try to justify its violations, distorting the truth and attack those who speak it. [Read more…]

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Report of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories

13 November 2013 by

Statement by Ms. Feda Abdelhady-Nasser, Ambassador, Deputy Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine to the United Nations, before the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (4th Committee),

Agenda Item 52: Report of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories, 68th Session UN General Assembly, 8 November 2013:

~Check against delivery~

Mr. Chair,

I express the State of 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.  We thank Ambassador Palitha T.B. Kohona of Sri Lanka, Chair of the Committee, Ambassador Hussein Haniff of Malaysia and Ambassador Fode` Seck of Senegal for the report on the human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the Occupied Syrian Golan and the serious recommendations made therein.

The Special Committee’s report, along with the recent reports of the Human Rights Council’s Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967 and other UN bodies and agencies, including UNRWA, UNICEF, OCHA and ESCWA, portray with accuracy the critical human rights situation in Palestine as a result of the illegal, oppressive policies being pursued by Israel, the occupying Power. [Read more…]

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United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)

26 August 2013 by

UNRWA provides assistance, protection and advocacy for some 5 million registered Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and the State of Palestine, pending a just solution to their plight in accordance with UN resolution 194 (III).

UNRWA’s human development and humanitarian services encompass primary and vocational education, primary health care, social safety-net, community support, infrastructure and camp improvement, microfinance and emergency response, including in situations of armed conflict.

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US attempt to close the Mission

20 August 2013 by

 

In late 1987, the United States was preparing to pass domestic legislation that would, among other things, call for the closing of the Permanent Observer Mission of the Palestine Liberation Organization to the United Nations in New York.  The international community, in particular UN Secretary-General, Mr. Javier Pérez de Cuéllar, stood firmly by the Mission and Ambassador Terzi, calling on the United States, as the Host Country, to uphold its treaty obligations under the 1947 Headquarters Agreement between the United States and the United Nations.  By virtue of resolution 3237 (XIXX) the PLO and its personnel were invitees of the United Nations and covered under the Agreement, therefore the United States was obligated to allow the entry and exit of PLO personnel in discharging their official duties at the United Nations in New York. The United States Congress did not head to the calls of the international community and eventually passed the domestic legislation and began proceedings in their federal courts against the Mission, attempting to close it down.  Thereafter, on 2 March 1988 the General Assembly requested an ICJ Advisory Opinion in resolution 42/229 B on the matter, which was rendered on 26 April 1988.  The Mission was never shut down due to the tremendous support of the international community and the reliance on international law, in particular the Headquarters Agreement.

Below you will find the relevant resolutions passed by the General Assembly, the related documents and Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice and Reports of the Secretary-General.

GA Resolutions and ICJ Advisory Opinion
Reports of the Secretary-General
Resolution 42/210 B of 17 December 1987

Called on Host Country to uphold Obligations under Headquarters Agreement		Report of the Secretary-General A/42/915
Resolutions 42/229 A+B of 2 March 1988

Request for the Advisory Opinion		Report of the Secretary-General A/42/915 add.1
Resolution 42/230 of 23 March 1988

Requested the Secretary-General to take preliminary measures to ensure the discharge of official functions of the PLO Mission, if neccessary.		Report of the Secretary-General A/42/915 add.2
Pleadings, Oral Arguments, Documents of the Request for an Advisory OpinonReport of the Secretary-General A/42/915 add.3
Unanimous ICJ Advisory Opinion rendered on 26 April 1988 Report of the Secretary-General A/42/915 add.4
Resolution 42/232 of 13 May 1988

Endorsement of the Advisory Opinion		Report of the Secretary-General A/42/915 add.5

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