Security Council regrets deportations by Israel of Palestinians.

The Security Council on 30 August deeply regretted the continuing deportation by Israel of Palestinian civilians from occupied Palestinian territories, and called for the safe and immediate return of those deported.

It also reaffirmed that the 1949 Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War was applicable to the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel since 1967, including jerusalem, and to other occupied Arab territories.

On 6 July, the Council had passed a similar resolution, deploring such deportations. The votes on the two resolutions-resolution 641 (1989) of 30 August and resolution 636 (1989) of 6 July-were 14 to 0, with 1 abstention (United States).

The United States took the position that repeated resort to the Council would not help to address the underlying problems of finding peace or facilitate negotiations between the parties. Council resolutions, it felt, would not assist in stopping the deportations, which it continued to oppose. Neither more deportations nor more such resolutions were likely to serve in efforts to bring the parties to the negotiating table.

In both the july and August meetings, the Council met to consider the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory", in particular deportation of Palestinian civilians. The first meeting took place at the request of the Syrian Arab Republic, acting on behalf of the Arab Group; the second at the request of Qatar, also acting on behalf of the Arab Group.

In a 28 August statement, Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar expressed "dismay and grave concern" over deportations of five more Palestinians, and he appealed to Israel to rescind the deportation orders and abide by its obligations under the Fourth Geneva Convention. He said he earnestly hoped that all those deported in that way would be allowed to return to their homes and be reunited with their families. Debate

In debate, Israel said it had chosen not to utilize the death penalty expressly contemplated by the Fourth Geneva Convention, preferring less severe measures under the local law, which permitted expulsion of individuals who posed an immediate and grave threat to security and public order".

Deportations were made only after most careful consideration and conclusion that all other means had failed in curbing violence and preventing grave risks to public safety. It was "a means of last resort".

The United States opposed in principle the deportations as contrary to the Fourth Geneva Convention, whose provisions applied to the occupied territories of the West Bank and Gaza. It considered them "unhelpful", increasing tensions and making it more difficult for Israelis and Palestinians to engage in constructive dialogue and thereby move the peace process forward.

The Observer from Palestine hoped Council members would take further steps to ensure that the Fourth Geneva Convention was respected, that the Palestinian civilians would return safely to their homes and that no more deportations would be undertaken. Palestinians and their leadership, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), continued to reach out to all willing to contribute to the process of building peace based on justice.