Israel has made a point-by-point refutation of Egyptian allegations that it violated the rights of the inhabitants of the west bank of the Suez Canal in contravention of the Fourth Geneva Convention on the human rights of local populations in occupied territories. The alleged breaches were dealt with in a letter submitted to Dr. Gonzalo Facio of Costa Rica, president of the Security Council, by the acting Permanent Representative of Israel, Ambassador Jacob Doron.
The letter described as “baseless” Egyptian allegation that civilians on the west bank of the canal were forced to evacuate the zone, that homes were demolished or burned and that Israeli authorities forcibly collected Egyptian currency from the local population. According to Doron. “No member of the civilian population of the areas concerned was evacuated therefrom unless he so desired….In some cases residents were assisted at their request, to leave the proximity of the front lines and to move deeper into the territory under Israeli control.”
Doron said this fact could be attested to by representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross “who freely visited the area.” No homes were “demolished or burned down except for those which were destroyed in the course of military operations near the front lines. Some structures, however, burned down as a result of Egyptian bombardment,” Doron wrote.
He stated that “It is completely untrue that Israeli authorities forcibly collected Egyptian currency from the local population. The local residents were enabled to buy their sundry requirements from Israeli supplies for Egyptian currency and the Israeli authorities purchased from them agricultural produce, paying in the same currency.” Doron also denied an Egyptian charge that agricultural activities in the area were harmed by the Israeli occupation. He said a majority of the farmers left as a result of the Egyptian authorities closing off fresh water supplies.
“The Israeli Defense Forces have provided water supplies from El Arish together with regular food supplies to the local population” as witnessed by Red Cross representatives, Doron’s letter said. He said the Israeli presence had changed nothing with respect to schools in the area which were closed down by Egyptian authorities after the 1967 war when the area “was transformed by the Egyptians into a military zone.” Doron asked that his letter be circulated as an official document of the Security Council.
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