{"id":184318,"date":"1988-11-04T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-03-11T21:42:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/?p=184318"},"modified":"2019-03-11T21:42:10","modified_gmt":"2019-03-11T21:42:10","slug":"auto-insert-184318","status":"publish","type":"document","link":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/document\/auto-insert-184318\/","title":{"rendered":"Situation in the OPT – Letter from Jordan"},"content":{"rendered":"
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| \n GENERAL ASSEMBLY <\/p>\n Forty-third session<\/p>\n Agenda item 77<\/p>\n REPORT OF THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE TO<\/p>\n INVESTIGATE ISRAELI PRACTICES<\/p>\n AFFECTING THE HUMAN RIGHTS OF THE<\/p>\n POPULATION OF THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES<\/p>\n<\/td>\n | \n SECURITY CO±¬ÁÏÍøCIL<\/p>\n Forty-third year<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n \n Letter dated 4 November 1988 from the Permanent Representative of<\/u><\/p><\/div>\n Jordan to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General<\/u><\/p><\/div>\n \t<\/span>I am sending you a report containing the most recent information on the measures taken by the Israeli occupation authorities during the months of July and August 1988 in the Palestinian territories occupied by them since 1967. These, measures comprise Israeli settlement operations, the confiscation of land and acts of aggression against citizens and their property in those territories.<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/span>The period reviewed in the report was marked by the extension of the scope of the collective punishments imposed by the Israeli occupation forces within the framework of the repressive and inhumane policy of the Israeli occupation authorities in the face of the massive popular uprising which has been taking place in the occupied Palestinian territories since 8 December 1987.<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/span>By setting forth in the annex the details of these acts of aggression and practices, the Government of my country would like to emphasize to you, and through you to the international community, the danger which the continuation of such a policy and such practices represent for international peace and security and for peace efforts and prospects in the region.<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/span>I should be grateful if you would have this letter and its annex circulated as a document of the General Assembly, under agenda item 77, and of the Security Council.<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n (Signed<\/u>) Abdullah SALAH<\/p><\/div>\n Ambassador<\/p><\/div>\n Permanent Representative<\/p><\/div>\n \n<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n ANNEX<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n Monthly report on Israeli settlement and acts of aggression<\/u><\/p><\/div>\n against Arab citizens and their property during the months<\/u><\/p><\/div>\n of July and August 1988<\/u><\/p><\/div>\n \t<\/span>The massive popular uprising in all parts of the occupied Palestinian territories entered its ninth month during the period under review in this report as the occupation authorities continued their policy of repression, burning, maltreatment, the killing of detainees inside Israeli prisons and attacks with lead and rubber bullets, gas and truncheons against the elderly, women and children. They severed telephone communications with camps in the Gaza Strip and prevented the delivery of food and medical supplies to the besieged areas under curfew, which led to a marked shortage of such supplies. The Arab population also suffered as a result of arbitrary campaigns of arrest, raids on quarters and houses, and the abduction of young men – with their eyes blindfolded and their hands bound – to centres of detention.<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/span>As a result of the Israeli military authorities' decision to treat the popular committees as illegal, to arrest their members and to prosecute any person who maintains his membership or continues to support such committees, of the illegal expulsions which took place during the two months, of the incident at the Negev prison (Ansar 3) – in which two detainees were killed and dozens of others were injured – and of the burning of three Arab workers from Gaza while they were sleeping at Or Yehud, the occupied territories were the scene of a fresh wave of disturbances and massive demonstrations, particularly in the Gaza Strip. Dozens of citizens were killed during these events and hundreds of others were wounded as they protested against the Israeli authorities' mounting policies of repression, the object of which is to step up the level of killing, subjugation and maltreatment, with a view to ending the uprising.<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/span>In an attempt by the Israeli military authorities to inflict the maximum possible number of injuries among the Arab population during demonstrations, the Israeli army has equipped those of its soldiers who operate in the occupied territories with a new type of plastic bullet which is especially designed to disperse demonstrators. This bullet causes serious injuries, which may even be lethal.<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/span>The newspaper Yediot Aharonot<\/u> reported that one of the new inventions to emerge from the war in the occupied territories was a plastic bullet which marked skin and clothing with patches of color that could not be removed for an entire week. The color capsules were fired from a semi-automatic rifle and were designed to facilitate the identification and arrest of demonstrators.<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/span>The following are some examples of the economic and administrative measures imposed by the Israeli authorities during the two months under review:<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/span>The civilian administration began to mark the identity cards of citizens of the Gaza Strip with symbols to prevent them from entering "Israel". It should be noted that Israeli law prohibits the marking of personal identity cards in any way.<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/span>The Israeli authorities raised the price of permits for departure across the bridges to Amman, increasing the fees for an exit permit to 187 new shekels (NIS) and that for a visit permit to NIS 220. This constitutes the second such adjustment to prices in a period of two months.<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/span>The Ministry of Defense issued new orders to terminate or restrict the Medical services provided by Israeli hospitals to Arab citizens in the occupied territories. Among those affected were many children and individuals suffering from heart disease, kidney complaints and cancer.<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/span>The Israeli authorities prohibited distribution of the newspaper Al-Fajr<\/u> in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip for a period of two weeks, on the grounds that it had not submitted its material for perusal by the military censors.<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/span>The Israeli authorities are persisting in their policy of preventing the entry of funds to the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. They have forbidden the transfer of any amount in excess of $1,200 every two months for each citizen in the occupied territories.<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/span>The occupation authorities have compelled medical institutions of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (±¬ÁÏÍøRWA) to register the names of those receiving treatment in their clinics and to provide a copy of such registration to the occupation authorities, thus exposing those injured to the danger of arrest.<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/span>Israeli Minister of Defense Yitzhak Rabin issued an order that the popular committees be considered illegal. Any member is therefore liable to arrest and imprisonment for a period of 10 years.<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/span>The Military Governor in the Gaza Strip ordered that the city's merchants should install signs written in both Arabic and Hebrew, including details of the place of business and its owner.<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/span>The Israeli civilian administrative authorities intend to begin a process whereby all the numbers of vehicles – of whatever type – in the occupied territories will be changed. The authorities are to impose a special tax on all vehicles.<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/span>The Israeli Ministry of Defense decided not to allow any unknown or new enterprise in the occupied territories to carry out any activity in the agricultural sector, particularly in the area of marketing.<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/span>The Israeli authorities closed four associations in the West Bank, namely, the General Federation of Labor Unions, the Association for Conservation of the Environment at Qalqilyah, the Association of Friends of the Sick at Tulkarm and the Assembly of Professional Unions at Bayt Hanina (Jerusalem).<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/span>The occupation authorities raided the headquarters of the Federation of Charitable Associations and the Al-Hayah press and publishing office in occupied Jerusalem and closed them for a period of one year in accordance with a decision by the Central Region Commander.<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/span>The authorities carried out a widespread survey of homes in the Nablus district, in which military teams visited each house and enquired about the family, the number, ages and places of employment of members of the household and whether any of them were in prison.<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/span>The Israeli civilian administration in the Gaza Strip imposed increased fees on any individuals who were late in exchanging their identity cards for new ones.<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/span>The authorities refused to provide the population of the village of Bayt Immar (Hebron) with permits to export their grape crop, picked from an area covering 15,000 dunums. The loss incurred by the village as a result of a ban on exports of their peaches amounted to some 1.5 million Jordanian dinars (JD).<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/span>The Israeli Cabinet decided to adopt an amendment to the emergency regulations whereby the Israeli police and armed forces would be permitted to enter the courtyards of houses in order to "maintain public order and security".<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/span>The authorities initiated the replacement of identity cards for the population of Rafah. Orders were issued in the early hours of the morning that citizens should present themselves in order to have their cards replaced.<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/span>The Israeli security services tightened their control over activities of the Supreme Islamic Council in Jerusalem and their surveillance of religious figures and senior officials of the Islamic awqaf<\/u>. The authorities claim that awqaf<\/u> officials have a growing hand in the spread of the uprising.<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/span>Customs officers carried out tax raids in the town of Qalqilyah. The raids covered all economic enterprises, including stores, barbers' shops, factories and building contractors, as well as a number of homes.<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/span>During the month of July, the authorities turned back over 60 citizens on the grounds that they did not have individual permits in their possession. The bridge authorities refused to accept identity cards with the number of the permit and the date of departure recorded on them, which had previously been treated as acceptable.<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/span>Meanwhile, the Israeli occupation authorities' determination to suppress the uprising has not prevented them from persisting in their daily pattern of aggression against Arab territory and the Arab population. Between the time of the occupation and the end of August 1988, the Israeli authorities confiscated some 2,776,626 dunums of land in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip and continued their desperate attempts to increase Jewish settlement and to draw up plans to attract and encourage Jews, particularly new immigrants, to take up residence in those settlements which have already been established in the occupied West Bank. Those settlements now number 170, together with 20 settlements in the Gaza Strip.<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/span>As regards attacks on the liberties and human rights of the Arab population, the Israeli authorities continued to pursue their inhuman policies and to impose individual and collective punishments. These included the sentencing of 330 citizens of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip who appeared before Israeli military courts. Their sentences ranged from imprisonment for many years or several months to the imposition of heavy fines. The authorities also placed more than 550 detainees under administrative detention and demolished or closed more than 53 Arab houses and dozens of stores. During the two months in question, 66 men and women fell victim to the bullets of Jewish soldiers and settlers, while hundreds of Arab citizens suffered various injuries.<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/span>Details of these acts of aggression are as follows:<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n I.\t<\/span>CONFISCATION OF LAND<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/span>On 10 July 1988, the military authorities informed the population of Al-Midyah, near the village of Na'lin (Ramallah), of a decision to confiscate 850 dunums of land planted with trees and seeds, situated in the Al-Manatir, Najmat Umayrah and Al-Iraq areas.<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/span>A number of owners of land in the village of Na'lin also received notice of confiscation of land belonging to them in tract No. 5, covering an area estimated at 500 dunums.<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/span>On 4 August 1988, the Israeli authorities confiscated a large amount of land at Baytunya (Ramallah). The exact area was not specified.<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/span>On 5 August 1988, the Israeli authorities gave notice to 35 owners of land in the villages of Azzun al-Atmah and Bayt Amin (Tulkarm), informing them of their intention to confiscate land considered to be the property of the State. It should be noted that the settlement of Ur Mais is situated near the land which is to be confiscated.<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/span>On 8 August 1988, the Israeli authorities began to lay regional settlement road No. 60, linking Jerusalem to Hebron. The road, which passes through the village of Al-Khadr and the town of Bayt Jala, is 80 kilometers in length, 3.2 meters wide and has a hard shoulder on each side which stretches for 0.375 meters. Construction is forbidden in the vicinity of the road, the building of which will lead to the confiscation of approximately 1,600 dunums of land belonging to the village of Al-Khadr.<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n II.\t<\/span>SETTLEMENT<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/span>On 7 July 1988, celebrations were held to mark the transformation of the Eley-Sinai settlement point in the Gaza Strip into a permanent settlement. The settlement is located near the Erez point at the approaches to the city of Gaza. It was established five years ago and comprises a number of settlers who were evacuated from the Yamit settlement in Sinai before the region was returned to Egyptian sovereignty. Ten Israeli families now live in the settlement.<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/span>On 7 July 1988, agreement was reached <\/strong>on a deal for construction of the Nofim settlement in the Nablus district. Citizens there will build their own homes on a do-it-yourself basis. The Israeli Ministry of Housing and Construction will provide the infrastructure for the settlement, including drains, water and electricity.<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/span>On 11 July 1988, the Emunah movement of Gush Emunim converted the Sham'ah military settlement established by Nahal into a civilian settlement. The new settlement is situated near the village of Al-Sammu' (Hebron district) and is to be established on land covering an area of 600 dunums. A prefabricated housing unit is to be transported to the settlement to accommodate new families.<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/span>On 17 July 1988, the Israeli authorities announced the establishment of a new settlement on land belonging to the village of Husan. The authorities erected four prefabricated units on land belonging to a citizen of the village of Husan approximately one year after the authorities had uprooted trees from the same piece of land. The future settlement borders on the settlement of Hadar Beitar.<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/span>On 1 August 1988, a celebration was held to mark the inauguration of the Beit Batir settlement, south of Mount Hebron, in the presence of Matityahu Drobles, Chairman of the Jewish Agency's Settlements Department and of Amiram Metzenaa, the Central Region Commander. Before its inauguration, the colony had been a settlement point.<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/span>On 8 August 1988, Israeli bulldozers resumed work on land belonging to the village of Husan, near the Israeli Hadar Beitar settlement, digging out foundations for the construction of residential units. The authorities are now beginning to build a new settlement on land which was taken over one year and a half ago and overlooks the two villages of Nahhalin and Wadi Fukin, near the village of Husan.<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/span>On 11 August 1988, 300 families of recent Jewish immigrants from South Africa took up residence in the Israeli settlements established in the Nablus district at the end of this summer.<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/span>On 13 August 1988, the Jewish settlers in the occupied territories conducted a campaign to collect signatures on a petition calling for the formation of a committee to investigate "the failure to suppress the uprising". The settlers wished to know who was responsible for the failure and why the necessary measures had not been taken to put an end to the uprising.<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/span>On 15 August 1988, the leaders of the Jewish settlers in the Gaza Strip met with the Military Commander of the Gaza Region and asked him to arrange for trees to be uprooted along roads in the Gaza Strip, to a distance of 20 meters on either side, in order to prevent the throwing of stones and Molotov cocktails at Israeli vehicles.<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/span>On 30 August 1988, an agreement was signed for the construction of a new Jewish settlement to accommodate military service recruits of the Israeli army in the Modi'in area on the Latrun road. One thousand residential units will be built on a do-it-yourself basis, and an area of half a dunum will be allocated to each family.<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n III. ACTS OF AGGRESSION AGAINST ARAB CITIZENS AND THEIR PROPERTY<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/span>During the months of July and August, 1988, the Israeli occupation authorities perpetrated a series of acts of aggression, carrying them out alternately with settlers and other Jewish extremists and racists.<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/span>Details of acts of aggression which resulted in damage to the person, property or land of Arab citizens are as follows:<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n (a) \t<\/span>Acts of aggression Against Arab land<\/u><\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/span>On 1 July 1988, "unidentified persons" attacked agricultural land covering an area of 21 dunums. They sprayed grape-bearing vines with chemicals which caused the destruction of approximately 225 such vines belonging to a citizen of the village of Al-Khadr (Bethlehem).<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/span>On 1 July 1988, Israeli settlers from the Beitar settlement, near the village of Husan (Bethlehem), attacked agricultural land and cut down nine olive-trees, 35 vines and 50 fig- and peach-trees.<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/span>On 2 July 1988, "unidentified persons" used saws to cut down 48 olive trees and fruit-bearing vines on land belonging to the village of Husan, close to the settlement of Beit Elit.<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/span>On 3 July 1988, an Israeli bulldozer uprooted 15 fruit-bearing olive-trees on land belonging to the village of Barqah.<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/span>On 3 July 1988, residents of the Mount Ibal settlement burned down approximately 500 olive-trees in the village of Asirah al-Shimaliyyah (Nablus).<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/span>On 4 July 1988, Israeli bulldozers uprooted 100 olive-trees on land belonging to the village of Dayr Istya (Nablus), on the grounds that a Molotov cocktail had been thrown from among the trees.<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/span>On 4 July 1988, residents of the settlement of Belgiora uprooted 31 vines and 10 olive- and almond-trees in the village of Husan.<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/span>On 6 July 1988, a large group of residents Of the Matityahu settlement set fire to over 40 olive-trees belonging to citizens of the village of Saffa (Ramallah).<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/span>On 9 July 1988, "unidentified persons" burned about 1,000 dunums planted with almonds in the village of Talluzah (Nablus).<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/span>On 14 July 1988, "unidentified persons" set fire to an olive grove in the village of Bayt Ur Al-Tahta. The fire consumed about 70 olive-trees.<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/span>On 17 July 1988, settlers uprooted about 40 "Roman" olive-trees belonging <\/strong>to the village of Haris (Tulkarm).<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p><\/div>\n \t<\/span>On 27 July 1988, "unidentified persons" burned an area of nine dunums of almond-trees on land belonging to the village of Talluzah (Nablus).<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/span>On 7 August 1988, Israeli military bulldozers ploughed up eight dunums of land planted with olive- and orange-trees in the village of Azzun, east of Qalqilyah.<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/span>On 8 August 1988, "unidentified persons" cut down some 150 fruit-bearing olive-trees on land belonging to citizens of the village of Kafr Thulth, east of Qalqilyah.<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/span>On 15 August 1988, settlers from Edora, near the village of Tarqumiah, south-west of Hebron, attacked land belonging to a citizen, cut down approximately 50 cultivated trees and ploughed up and ruined the land.<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/span>On 15 August 1988, Israeli military bulldozers uprooted dozens of citrus trees from a plantation situated on the main road at the Bureij camp, on the grounds that Molotov cocktails had been thrown at an Israeli vehicle.<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/span>On 19 August 1988, the Israeli authorities ploughed up two dunums of citrus trees from land belonging to a citizen of the village of Bayt Hanun, on the grounds that an explosive charge had been set.<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/span>On 25 August 1988, the occupation authorities uprooted approximately 150 fruit-bearing "Roman" olive-trees belonging to the population of Bayt Ur Al-Tahta (Ramallah).<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/span>On 23 August 1988, Israeli bulldozers uprooted olive-trees at the crossroads in the village of Bidya (Tulkarm), on the grounds that stones had been thrown at an Israeli vehicle from that area.<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/span>On 25 August 1988, "unidentified persons" lit a number of deliberate fires in the village of Azzun. The flames consumed almond- and olive-trees.<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n (b) \t<\/span>Acts of aggression against Arab citizens and their property<\/u><\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t<\/span>On 3 July 1988, settlers from the Ariel settlement attacked the village of Mashah (Nablus), and more than 20 settlers fired bullets into the village. As a result, two youths were hit and more than 10 Arab vehicles were damaged in various ways.<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n |