MIDDLE EAST.

Violence Derails Peace Process

Continued violence between Palestinian demonstrators and Israeli security forces led to an indefinite suspension of peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, threatening to derail the Middle East peace process. The Secretary-General travelled to the region on an urgent mission to help defuse the crisis (see photo).

On 18 October, the General Assembly resumed its tenth emergency special session on illegal Israeli actions in occupied East Jerusalem and the rest of the occupied Palestinian territory. During the resumed session--originally convened in April 1997 and last suspended in February 1999-representatives of over 50 States participated in the debate. Noting that since 28 September the violence at Al-Haram Al-Sharif and other holy places in Jerusalem, as well as in other areas of the occupied Palestinian territory, had resulted in more than 100 deaths-the vast majority of them Palestinian civilians-the Assembly on 23 October, by a resolution adopted by 92 votes to 6, with 46 abstentions, condemned all acts of violence, "especially the excessive use of force by the Israeli forces", and demanded an immediate end to it. Supporting efforts towards the resumption of the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations within the Middle East peace process, the Assembly also called for the "speedy conclusion" of the final settlement agree ment between the two sides and urged all parties to implement the understanding reached at the Sharm El-Sheikh Summit in Egypt. Held on 16 and 17 October, the Summit produced agreements on security cooperation, on renewing the peace process and on establishing a committee of fact-finding on the recent events.

Reporting to the Assembly on his recent trip to the region, Secretary-General Kofi Annan on 20 October called the Summit agreement a "vital first step back from the brink" and towards a resumption of the peace process. "In the end, peace remains the only strategic option for Israel and Palestinians", he said. Earlier, briefing the Security Council, the Secretary-General said that while the violence had abated, the tensions remained high. He stressed the need for both parties to faithfully implement the agreement reached at the Summit and promised to work with United States President Bill Clinton in setting up a fact-finding body.

Following extensive closed-door consultations and three days of open debate, during which representatives of some 50 States expressed their views, the Council on 7 October adopted resolution 1322 (2000) by 14 to none, with 1 abstention (United States), deploring the provocation at Al-Haram Al-Sharif in Jerusalem on 28 September and the subsequent violence throughout the occupied territories. It condemned the acts of violence, especially the excessive use of force against Palestinians, and called for an immediate end of violence, avoidance of new provocative actions and a return to normality in a way that would promote prospects for the Middle East peace process. Further, the Council stressed the importance of establishing a mechanism for a speedy and objective inquiry into the tragic events, with the aim of preventing their repetition. It called upon Israel to abide scrupulously by its legal obligations and responsibilities under the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention on the protection of civilians in times of wa r.

Special Human Rights Session on the Middle East

Following a three-day special session on the situation in the Middle East, the Commission on Human Rights on 19 October adopted a resolution, by a vote of 19 to 16, with 17 abstentions, condemning the "grave and massive violations of the human rights of the Palestinian people by Israel." Citing what it termed Israel's "disproportionate and indiscriminate use of force," the Commission decided to establish a "human rights inquiry commission" to gather information, with the aim of preventing similar occurrences in the future.