United Nations

A/60/931­S/2006/485
Distr.: General 5 July 2006 Original: English

General Assembly Security Council

General Assembly Sixtieth session Agenda items 14 and 108 The situation in the Middle East Measures to eliminate international terrorism

Security Council Sixty-first year

Identical letters dated 5 July 2006 from the Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council
I am writing in order to draw your attention to the most recent terrorist attacks perpetrated against the citizens of Israel -- the continuous firing of Kassam rocket and mortar shells. On 4 July 2006, Palestinian terrorists fired a Kassam rocket from the Gaza Strip deep into Israeli territory, landing in a school 12 and a half kilometres away, in the major city of Ashkelon. The Hamas terrorist organization claimed responsibility for the attack. This Kassam rocket attack represents a serious escalation of the current situation. It was an upgraded Kassam rocket and travelled the farthest distance of any Kassam fired into Israeli territory. It fell in a populated area in the southern part of Ashkelon, causing damage to a school. Children playing near the property were thrown back by the force of the explosion. The school was occupied at the time and it is only by chance that students, teachers and officials were not hurt. At least six additional Kassam rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip towards Israel on 4 July 2006, three of which landed in the Negev and three landed in Gaza. Between 28 June 2006 and 4 July 2006, Palestinian terrorists launched at least 29 Kassam rockets from the Gaza Strip towards Israel, causing three people to suffer trauma and prompting a large fire. Since Israel's disengagement from the Gaza Strip and parts of the West Bank in August 2005, Palestinian terrorists have fired more than 630 Kassam rockets towards Israel. I submit the present letter in follow-up to numerous letters detailing the campaign of Palestinian terrorism launched in September 2000, which document the crimes for which the terrorists and their supporters must be held fully accountable.

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I would be grateful if you would arrange to have the text of the present letter circulated as a document of the sixtieth session of the General Assembly, under agenda items 14 and 108. An identical letter has been submitted to Jean-Marc de La Sablière, President of the Security Council. (Signed) Dan Gillerman Ambassador Permanent Representative

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