New york: The Permanent Representative of Palestine to the United Nations, Ambassador Riyad Mansour, has sent three identical letters to key UN officials, addressing the ongoing Israeli violations against Palestinians. The letters were directed to the UN Secretary-General, the President of the Security Council for this month, Slovenia, and the President of the UN General Assembly.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, Mansour's letters highlight the persistent settlement expansion, ethnic cleansing, and incitement by Israeli occupation forces across the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem. He pointed out Israel's impunity and systematic breaches of Security Council resolutions, notably Resolution 2803, and the ceasefire agreement.
Mansour underscored the escalation of attacks by Israeli forces and settlers on Palestinian communities, along with property confiscation and destruction. He noted the Israeli government's plans to annex Palestinian land, forcibly displace civilians, and deny the Palestinians their right to self-determination and independence.
The letters also detailed the intensification of illegal settlement activity in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, in violation of international law, Security Council Resolution 2334, and International Court of Justice opinions. Mansour condemned the ongoing arbitrary arrests, ill-treatment, and torture of Palestinian civilians, which have resulted in nearly 100 deaths among detainees since October 2023.
Mansour criticized Israel's provocative actions in occupied East Jerusalem, including the December 8 attack on the UNRWA headquarters, which violated international humanitarian law and UN privileges. He also warned of Israeli plans to annex more Palestinian land in the Gaza Strip, including claims that the 'yellow line' represents a new border, violating the ceasefire agreement and international land seizure laws.
Mansour highlighted Israel's obstruction of humanitarian aid and restricted UN access, contributing to the severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza. This crisis is marked by famine, malnutrition, health system collapse, and the deprivation of shelter amid harsh weather conditions.
Furthermore, Mansour reported that since the ceasefire began on October 11, Israeli forces have killed over 383 Palestinians, including many children, and injured over a thousand in Gaza.