13 November 2001
Israel Defense Forces (IDF)
Attention: Major Efrat Segev
Fax No. 03-608 0339
Dear Major Segev,
Enclosed you will find a copy of the Palestinian Human Rights Monitoring Group’s (PHRMG) report on the Israeli policy of extra-judicial killings for your review. The PHRMG is a Palestinian non-governmental organization working to end human rights violations committed against Palestinians in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem, regardless of who is responsible.
This Israeli government policy is of great concern to our organization, and we have been monitoring the evolution and implementation of this policy very closely since the first such case in which an Israeli military helicopter fired missiles killing Fatah commander Hussein Abayat on 9 November 2000. We are now preparing our report, which aims to outline the violations of human rights inherent in this policy, and to give a summarized account of all known assassinations, failed assassination attempts and a number of possible assassinations.
We welcome the opportunity to include the official position of the Israel Defense Force regarding this matter. We would appreciate receiving your comments in English within two weeks, as we would like to publish your comments alongside the report.
Thank you in advance for your cooperation in this matter.
Sincerely,
Bassem Eid
Executive Director
PHRMG