General Assembly Sixty-second session Agenda items 17, 18, 33 and 108 The situation in the Middle East Question of Palestine Report of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories Measures to eliminate international terrorism Security Council Sixty-third year Letter dated 22 April 2008 from the Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General I have the honour to submit herewith a letter addressed to you by Manouchehr Mottaki, Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran, concerning the tragic situation in the Gaza Strip in the occupied Palestinian territories (see annex). I should be grateful if you would have the present letter and its annex circulated as a document of the General Assembly, under agenda items 17, 18, 33 and 108, and of the Security Council. (Signed) Mohammad Khazaee Ambassador Permanent Representative Annex to the letter dated 22 April 2008 from the Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General I wish to draw your attention to the ongoing tragic situation in the Gaza Strip in Palestine. In the past several days, the said region has been yet again witnessing bloody actions and atrocious crimes against humanity perpetrated by the Zionist occupying forces, resulting in the death and injury of hundreds of Palestinians. Exploiting the silence of the international community, and in the absence of appropriate actions by the relevant international forums to discharge their humanitarian and legal responsibilities with regard to the maintenance of the security of nations and safeguarding their rights, the Zionist regime is once again committing abhorrent crimes against the Palestinians, in full contempt for the most basic principles of human rights and other well-recognized international norms and regulations. After a long period of military aggression, all-out blockades, perpetration of brutal crimes and applying unabated political and economic pressures against the innocent Palestinians, particularly the people in the Gaza Strip, the Zionist regime has now put on its agenda the daily massacre of defenceless women, children and men in the said occupied territories, before the eyes of the civilized world. The question arises for the nations across the globe why the Zionist regime, with its atrocious massacre of the Palestinian people and with its relentless pursuit of State terrorism, has been allowed to continue to be a member of the United Nations. As you are well aware, the said regime is the only member of the United Nations whose membership has been conditional, and it has not fulfilled any of its commitments. There is no doubt that the continuation of this genocide and actual holocaust will bring about dangerous ramifications for the peace, stability, tranquillity and security of the volatile region of the Middle East and the whole world at large. On behalf of the Iranian Government and people, and while condemning such Israeli crimes and warning of the possibility of the occurrence of a grave humanitarian disaster in the Gaza Strip, I wish to request you, as the Secretary-General of the United Nations and in line with the legal and humanitarian responsibilities bestowed upon you, to take all necessary measures to stop the inhumane actions of the Zionist regime, and to help alleviate the sufferings of the Palestinian people. (Signed) Manouchehr Mottaki Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran   sss1 \* MERGEFORMAT A/62/815 sss2 \* MERGEFORMAT S/2008/275 sss1 \* MERGEFORMAT A/62/815 sss2 \* MERGEFORMAT S/2008/275 FooterJN \* MERGEFORMAT 08-32035 \* MERGEFORMAT 2 \* MERGEFORMAT 1 FooterJN \* MERGEFORMAT 08-32035 United Nations A/62/815–S/2008/275 General Assembly Security Council Distr.: General 25 April 2008 Original: English jobn \* MERGEFORMAT 08-32035 (E) 290408 Barcode \* MERGEFORMAT *0832035*