In your editorial, ["Closing the gates" March 24.}, referring to the assassination of Sheikh Ahmad Yassin, you state : "The Israelis certainly had just cause". Evidently, you also believe Israel has just cause in maintaining its oppressive illegal occupation of Palestinian territory, that has been allowed to stand for 37 years, in defiance of international law and repeated Security Council resolutions. Israeli practices, during this occupation, include extra-judicial assassination, detention of thousands without charge or trial, torture, daily humiliation, demolition of thousands of homes, for the creation of illegal settlements. These practices are in violation of every article of the Fourth Geneva Convention, and thus defined, by international law, as war crimes. You speak of 377 Israelis killed and 2000 injured, but you do not spare a word for nearly 3000 Palestinians killed and over 40,000 injured, 30% of whom are children, by the 'courageous' bombardment by Israeli F16's and Apaches, amongst other powerful weapons.

Perhaps it is worth reminding you that the blind quadriplegic Sheikh Yassin was released, in 1997, from Israeli gaols, in return for King Hussein releasing the Israeli secret Mossad agents, sent by Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, to assassinate Khalid Meshal in Amman, using an internationally-prohibited chemical weapon [WMD].

Peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians can be obtained if Israel would terminate completely its illegal occupation of Palestinian territory and abide with international law and UN resolutions. It is the duty of our politicians and media editors to call clearly for this.