General Assembly Tenth emergency special session Agenda item 5 Illegal Israeli actions in Occupied East Jerusalem and the rest of the Occupied Palestinian Territory Security Council Sixty-first year Identical letters dated 16 October 2006 from the Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council Since our last letter of 12 October 2006, Israel, the occupying Power, has further escalated its aggression against Palestinian towns, villages and refugee camps, and has openly declared its intentions to continue its intentions to continue its military assaults in the Gaza Strip over the next week. Presently, the occupying Power is amassing its forces around the Gaza Strip in preparation for what appears will be a major military offensive. Over the past few days, Israeli occupation military incursions and the extrajudicial killings of Palestinians have killed at least 16 Palestinians, injured tens of others and left widespread destruction of civilian property and infrastructure. On Friday, 13 October 2006, Israel stepped up its illegal campaign of extrajudicial killings, carrying out a number of attacks in the Gaza Strip that left seven Palestinians dead. Also during the late hours of that same day, Israeli occupying forces carried out an incursion into Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip and Khan Younis in the south, which resulted in the killing of seven more Palestinians. During the same incursion, Israeli military bulldozers razed large areas of orchards and fields in the area, destroying land, crops and local infrastructure. In addition, the occupying forces opened machine-gun fire from accompanying Apache helicopters on the civilian population in Khan Younis, and snipers targeted the residents at random. Mrs. Zahrah Qadeeh, 33 years old, was killed as a result of the random sniper fire. These stepped-up Israeli attacks have been accompanied by intensified rhetoric on the part of the Israeli Government. In fact, Amir Peretz, the Israeli “Defence” Minister, declared on Sunday, 15 October 2006, that he had given his orders to the occupying forces to intensify their extrajudicial killings and military assaults on the Gaza Strip. Additionally, the Israeli Cabinet recently alleged receiving reports that “advanced weapons” had entered the Gaza Strip and vowed to take action against that supposed development. It appears to be yet another excuse for the Israeli Government to continue its incursions and air strike attacks against the towns and people in the Gaza Strip. These ceaseless military attacks and plausible threats of an even bigger assault are indicative of the occupying Power’s abject disdain for the worth of Palestinian lives and its determination to deepen the already alarming humanitarian situation on the ground. The international community must continue to strongly condemn Israel’s escalation of extrajudicial killings and deliberate and indiscriminate military attacks against civilian areas and, furthermore, the international community must take immediate action to bring a halt to these grave human rights violations and crimes against the Palestinian people. This letter is in follow-up to our previous 266 letters to you regarding the ongoing crisis in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, since 28 September 2000. These letters, dated from 29 September 2000 (A/55/432-S/2000/921) to 12 October 2006 (A/ES-10/359-S/2006/808) constitute a basic record of the crimes committed by Israel, the occupying Power, against the Palestinian people since September 2000. For all of these war crimes, State terrorism and systematic human rights violations committed against the Palestinian people, Israel, the occupying Power, must be held accountable and the perpetrators must be brought to justice. Accordingly, in follow-up to the above-mentioned letters, it is my profound regret to inform you that, since our last letter to you, at least 16 more Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli occupying forces, raising the total number of martyrs killed since September 2000 to 4,274. The names of the martyrs that have been identified are listed in the annex to the present letter. I should be grateful if you would arrange to have the present letter and its annex distributed as an official document of the tenth emergency special session of the General Assembly, under agenda item 5, and of the Security Council. (Signed) Riyad Mansour Ambassador Permanent Observer Annex to the identical letters dated 16 October 2006 from the Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council * The total number of Palestinian martyrs killed by the Israeli occupying forces since 28 September 2000 is 4,274. Names of martyrs killed by the Israeli occupying forces in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem* (Thursday, 12 October 2006, to Saturday, 14 October 2006) Thursday, 12 October 2006 1. Ayman Farawneh 2. Ayman Al-Harrazeen 3. Eman Al-Harrazeen (2 years) Friday, 13 October 2006 4. Emad Rashad Al-Maqoosi 5. Mohammad Al-Tarmali 6. Essam Dhaher 7. Zahrah Ahmad Qadeeh Saturday, 14 October 2006 8. Ramez Abu Rashed (18) 9. Sakhr Abu Jabal (18) 10. Ahmad Abu Al-Aish 11. Mohammad Shaqqoura 12. Awwad Atatwah (18) 13. Suleiman Al-Err 14. Fayez Al-Err 15. Raja’ Al-Labban 16. Omar Abu Shor’ieh   sss1 \* MERGEFORMAT A/ES-10/360 sss2 \* MERGEFORMAT S/2006/818 sss1 \* MERGEFORMAT A/ES-10/360 sss2 \* MERGEFORMAT S/2006/818 FooterJN \* MERGEFORMAT 06-57390 \* MERGEFORMAT 2 \* MERGEFORMAT 3 FooterJN \* MERGEFORMAT 06-57390 United Nations A/ES-10/360–S/2006/818 General Assembly Security Council Distr.: General 16 October 2006 Original: English jobn \* MERGEFORMAT 06-57390 (E) 171006 Barcode \* MERGEFORMAT *0657390*