US embassy cable - 04TELAVIV1292

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TEL AVIV 001292 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
NEA FOR BURNS/SATTERFIELD 
NEA/SA/EX FOR AUSTIN-FERGUSON; DEPT FOR DS/IP/NEA; 
DEPT FOR DS/IP/ITA; DRL FOR A/S CRANER; 
NSC FOR ABRAMS/DANIN; 
USAID FOR DCHA, DCHA/FPP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KWBG, PTER, ASEC, PHUM, CASC, KPAL, IS, GZ, SItrep, Sitrep 
SUBJECT: THE SITUATION ON THE GROUND: MARCH 2, 2004 (1400 
HOURS LOCAL) -- ARAFAT ADVISOR ASSASSINATED IN GAZA BY 
PALESTINIAN GUNMEN 
 
 
THIS IS A JOINT MESSAGE FROM EMBASSY TEL AVIV AND CONGEN 
JERUSALEM. 
 
1.  (SBU) Summary: Arafat advisor for human rights and media 
issues Khalil al-Zaben was shot and killed March 2 by unknown 
Palestinian gunmen in Gaza City.  One settler was injured 
March 2 after Palestinians fired a mortar on Neve Dekalim. 
In the West Bank, the IDF killed one Palestinian March 1 near 
Hebron, during a siege of the house of a suspected terrorist, 
and one IDF soldier was wounded in a stone-throwing incident 
near Bayt Ummar the same day.  End Summary. 
 
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West Bank 
--------- 
 
2.  (SBU) ATTACKS: 
 
-- Death: The IDF March 1 killed one Palestinian in Yatta 
village, south of Hebron.  The incident came as the army 
besieged a house, in which it suspected a terrorist was 
hiding.  When someone ran out of the house, the troops shot 
and killed him.  Press reports indicated that he was not the 
target of the operation.  Later, the army destroyed the house 
and imposed a curfew on the village. 
 
-- Injury: The IDF March 1 injured one Palestinian in Burkha 
village, near Nablus, during clashes that erupted when 
Israeli forces mounted an arrest operation in the village 
that netted three arrests. 
 
-- Injury: Palestinians March 1 injured one Israeli soldier 
in Bayt Ummar when they threw stones at troops patrolling the 
village. 
 
-- Shooting: Palestinian gunmen March 1 mounted two shooting 
attacks near Ramallah that caused no injuries but did damage 
one Israeli car.  Two other shooting incidents the same day, 
one near Homesh and the other near Shaked, likewise caused no 
injuries. 
 
3.  (SBU) ARRESTS: 
 
-- The IDF March 1 arrested three Palestinians in Burkha 
village, near Nablus. 
 
4.  (SBU) DEMOLITIONS: 
 
-- The IDF March 1 demolished three families, tents in Al 
Khader village, near Bethlehem.  The families had set up the 
tents on the site where their homes had stood until the IDF 
demolished them a few weeks ago.  Reports indicated that the 
demolitions were carried out because the houses (and then 
tents) overlooked Route 60, a road used by settlers.  The 
ostensible reason was a lack of building permits. 
 
5.  (SBU) SETTLEMENT EXPANSION/EVACUATION: 
 
-- Palestinians reported March 1 that settlers in Tekoa had 
moved barrels, perhaps for a water supply, to a location 
outside the settlement's boundary. 
 
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Gaza Strip 
---------- 
 
6.  (SBU) ATTACKS: 
 
-- Deaths: Unknown Palestinian gunmen shot and killed Khalil 
al-Zaben, an advisor to Yasir Arafat on human rights and 
media issues, early in the morning March 2 in the Sabra 
district of Gaza City.  No group yet has claimed 
responsibility for the attack. 
 
-- Injuries: One settler was injured March 1 when 
Palestinians fired a mortar at Neve Dekalim settlement, 
according to UNRWA. 
 
-- Injuries: UNRWA reported that one Palestinian was shot and 
injured March 1 after soldiers in an IDF convoy on the 
Karni-Netzarim Road responded with machine gun fire to a 
Palestinian shooting attack. 
 
-- Mortars/Rockets: The IDF reported that a total of four 
mortars were fired March 1-2: one at Neve Dekalim, one at an 
IDF outpost near Khan Yunis, one near Kissufim Crossing, and 
one southeast of Nissanit.  UNRWA reported that three mortars 
were fired at the Gani Tel settlement March 2. 
 
-- Shootings: The IDF reported a total of four shooting 
attacks March 1-2: two near Netzarim and two near Khan Yunis. 
 
7.  (SBU) ARRESTS: 
 
-- The IDF arrested a Palestinian fisherman off the coast of 
Bayt Lahiya March 1, according to UNRWA. 
-- Catch-up item: Arrests: UNRWA reported that the IDF 
arrested four Palestinians February 29 during searches 
conducted at the Abu Khouli checkpoint. 
 
8.  (SBU) BORDER CROSSINGS/CHECKPOINTS 
 
-- Route Four (Salahadeen Road), the main north-south traffic 
artery, was open for Palestinians March 2. 
 
-- The Erez Crossing was open March 2, and 9,146 Palestinian 
laborers crossed into Israel.  All workers must be married 
and over age 35.  The Erez Industrial Zone was open March 2, 
with 3,599 workers entering the Zone. 
 
-- Sufa Crossing was open for Palestinian workers March 2 and 
347 workers crossed.  Sufa was also open for the import into 
Gaza of aggregates used in construction. 
 
-- Karni Terminal was open March 2 for the import and export 
of goods into the Gaza Strip. 
 
-- Rafah Terminal was open for Palestinian travelers March 2. 
 
-- Tel al-Sultan checkpoint was closed March 2.  Toufah 
checkpoint was open for residents of al-Mowassi. 
 
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KURTZER