US embassy cable - 05TELAVIV2236

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 TEL AVIV 002236 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
NEA FOR BURNS/SATTERFIELD/DIBBLE; 
NEA/SA/EX FOR RICHIE; DEPT FOR DS/IP/ITA; DEPT FOR 
DS/IP/NEA; 
NSC FOR ABRAMS/DANIN; USAID FOR DCHA, DCHA/FPP, PRM FOR 
DEWEY/GREENE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KWBG, PHUM, PREL, PTER, ASEC, CASC, GZ, IS, SItrep, Sitrep 
SUBJECT: WB/G SITREP: IDF KILLS THREE PALESTINIANS IN GAZA, 
MILITANTS LAUNCH TWO-DAY MORTAR BARRAGE IN RESPONSE -- 
APRIL 11, 2005 (1200 HOURS LOCAL) 
 
 
This is a joint ConGen Jerusalem/Embassy Tel Aviv cable. 
 
1.  (SBU) Summary: Israeli police on April 10 arrested 31 
Israeli right-wing protesters during a demonstration in the 
Old City of Jerusalem.  Israeli police also arrested eight 
Palestinians during clashes in the vicinity of the Lion,s 
Gate entrance to the Old City the same day.  Israeli police 
on April 10 arrested West Bank Hamas leader Hassan Yusif, as 
well as his son and one aide, after Yusif entered Jerusalem 
without Israeli authorization.  The police released all three 
the same evening.  In Gaza, IDF soldiers shot and killed 
three Palestinian youths April 9 on the western edge of the 
Rafah refugee camp.  According to the IDF, the youths, aged 
14-17, were involved in smuggling and did not respond to 
warning shots the soldiers fired.  Palestinians claim the 
three were among a group of five youths playing soccer in the 
cleared area near the fence.  The other two youths were 
arrested.  In retaliation for the youths' deaths, Palestinian 
militants fired more than 75 mortar shells and homemade 
rockets at IDF and Israeli settler targets April 9-11.  No 
injuries were reported from these mortar and rocket attacks, 
although one house in Neve Dekalim was damaged.  End Summary. 
 
--------- 
West Bank 
--------- 
 
2.  (SBU) ATTACKS: 
 
-- Deaths: Nil. 
 
-- Clashes/Injuries: Palestinians in the village of Deir 
Ballut on April 8 clashed with Israeli security forces to 
protest the construction of the separation barrier, and 16 
Palestinians sustained light injuries. 
 
-- Clashes/Injuries: Israeli police on April 10 clashed with 
Palestinians at the Lion,s Gate entrance to the Old City of 
Jerusalem.  Three Israeli policemen and 13 Palestinians 
sustained injuries, none life-threatening (See &Old City 
Demonstrations/Arrests8). 
 
-- Clashes/Injuries: Palestinians on April 10 clashed with 
the IDF near Rachel,s Tomb in Bethlehem, resulting in two 
Palestinian injuries from rubber bullets.  Palestinians also 
threw an explosive device at an IDF position located near the 
Tomb.  There were no reported injuries from this incident. 
 
3.  (SBU) ARRESTS/SECURITY: 
 
-- Arrests: Israeli security forces on April 9 arrested two 
Palestinian teenagers at the Huwwara checkpoint, south of 
Nablus, after the IDF discovered the teenagers carrying a bag 
containing materials used to make firebombs. 
 
-- Incursions/Arrests: The IDF on April 9 entered  Illar 
village, northeast of Tulkarm, and Beita village, south of 
Nablus, and arrested a total of five Palestinians. 
 
-- Settler Incidents: Israeli settlers on April 9 blocked a 
West Bank road connecting Nablus and Ramallah.  Elsewhere, 
Israeli settlers threw stones at a Palestinian home in Deir 
Sharaf village, northwest of Nablus.  There were no injuries 
reported from this incident. 
 
-- Shooting: Palestinians on April 9 fired gunshots at an 
Israeli vehicle traveling near Tel village, south of Nablus. 
There were no reported injuries from this incident.  The 
al-Aqsa Martyrs, Brigades claimed responsibility for the 
shooting. 
 
-- Security: Palestinians on April 9 threw explosive devices 
at IDF soldiers operating near Bethlehem.  There were no 
reported injuries from this incident. 
 
-- Old City Demonstrations/Arrests: According to press 
reports, Israeli police on April 10 arrested 31 Israeli 
right-wing protesters during a demonstration in the Old City 
of Jerusalem.  Most of those detained were subsequently 
released from custody.  In addition, Israeli police arrested 
eight Palestinians during clashes in the vicinity of the 
Lion,s Gate entrance to the Old City. 
 
-- Arrests: Israeli police on April 10 arrested West Bank 
Hamas leader Hassan Yusif, as well as his son and one aide, 
after Yusif entered Jerusalem without Israeli authorization. 
The police made the actual arrests after all three left the 
Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount compound, and released them from 
custody the same evening. 
 
-- Arrests: Israeli security forces arrested two Palestinians 
militants April 10, one in Idhna village, west of Hebron, and 
the other in Kafr Ni,ma, west of Ramallah. 
 
-- Arrests: The IDF on April 10 arrested three Palestinians 
in possession of firebombs near Jamma,in village, south of 
Nablus. 
 
-- Incursion/Arrests: The IDF on April 10 entered Silwad 
village, north of Ramallah, and arrested 10 Palestinians. 
 
-- Incursion/Arrest: The IDF on April 10 entered al-Yamun 
village, northwest of Jenin, and arrested one PIJ activist. 
 
-- Incursion/Arrest: The IDF on April 11 entered Nablus and 
arrested a local Fatah activist with reported ties to 
Hizballah.  In addition to the Fatah activist, the IDF took 
20 Palestinians into custody for questioning before 
withdrawing from the city. 
 
-- Security: Palestinians on April 10 threw five firebombs at 
an Israeli vehicle traveling near  Atara village, north of 
Ramallah, damaging the vehicle.  There were no injuries 
reported from this incident. 
 
4.  (SBU) DEMOLITIONS/CONFISCATIONS: 
 
-- Confiscation orders: According to Palestinian media, 
Israeli military authorities on April 9 issued land 
confiscation orders for 700 dunams in Deir Ibzi, village, 
west of Ramallah.  Media also reported that Israeli 
authorities ordered the confiscation of 50 dunams of 
Palestinian land in Halhul and Bayt Ummar villages, north of 
Hebron. 
 
5.  (SBU) POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS: 
 
-- Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmud Abbas 
condemned the April 9 shooting of three Palestinians by the 
IDF near the Gaza-Egyptian border, calling the incident a 
violation of the agreements reached between the Israeli 
Government and the PA at the Sharm al-Shaykh summit in 
February. 
 
-- Israeli security services on April 10 detained for several 
hours Abbas Zaki, a senior Fatah official and Palestinian 
Legislative Council (PLC) representative from Hebron, after 
Zaki entered into the West Bank from Jordan at the Allenby 
Bridge crossing. 
 
---- 
Gaza 
---- 
 
6.  (SBU) ATTACKS: 
 
-- Death: UNRWA reported that a PIJ militant, shot and 
injured by IDF soldiers in January as he was attempting to 
fire a mortar at Netzarim settlement, died of his wounds 
April 10. 
 
-- Deaths: UNRWA and media reported that IDF soldiers shot 
and killed three Palestinian youths April 9 on the western 
edge of the Rafah refugee camp.  According to the IDF, the 
three youths, aged 14-17, were involved in smuggling and did 
not respond to warning shots the soldiers fired. 
Palestinians claim the three were among a group of five 
youths who were playing soccer in the cleared area near the 
fence.  The other two youths were arrested, according to 
Israeli media reports (see "Arrests"). 
 
-- Death: UNRWA reported that a Palestinian man was found 
fatally shot in Gaza City April 8 in what appears to have 
been an internal Palestinian dispute.  His family closed off 
the main streets in the city and burned tires until PA 
security forces dispersed the crowd of relatives later the 
same evening. 
 
-- Death/Injury: UNRWA reported that a Palestinian woman was 
shot and killed and her sister severely beaten by a group of 
masked, armed Palestinians the evening of April 8 in Bayt 
Lahiyah.  The reasons for the attack are unknown; PA police 
are investigating. 
-- Injuries: UNRWA reported that shrapnel injured at least 
seven Palestinians April 9 when rockets and mortars fired by 
militant groups at Israel settler targets in the Gaza Strip 
fell short and landed in Palestinian areas. 
 
-- Injuries: UNRWA reported that shrapnel injured two 
militants the April 8 when the rocket they were attempting to 
fire at Neve Dekalim exploded prematurely. 
 
-- Catch-up item: Injury: UNRWA reported that IDF gunfire 
injured one Palestinian April 7 in Rafah. 
 
-- Mortars/Rockets: UNRWA reported that Palestinian militants 
fired more than 75 mortar shells and homemade rockets at IDF 
and Israeli settler targets April 9-11.  The rockets were 
reportedly fired in revenge for the killing of three 
Palestinian youths aged 14-17 in Rafah April 9 see "Deaths  A 
variety of terrorist organizations, including Palestinian 
Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and the Popular Resistance Committees 
(PRC), and the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades claimed 
responsibility for the attacks.  One building in Neve Dekalim 
was reportedly damaged but no Israeli injuries were reported. 
 
-- Mortars/Rockets: UNRWA reported that three Qassam rockets 
were fired into Israel April 9-11, two towards Sderot and one 
towards Kibbutz Nahal Oz.  The IDF reported only a single 
Qassam in the same period, fired at Nativ Ha'asara village in 
the Negev. 
 
-- Shootings: The IDF reported that Palestinian militants 
launched a total of six shooting attacks at IDF and Israeli 
settler targets in the Gaza Strip April 9-12. 
 
-- Explosions: The IDF reported that IDF soldiers found and 
deactivated two explosive devices April 9, one near Neve 
Dekalim and the other north of Karni Crossing. 
 
7.  (SBU) ARRESTS: 
 
-- UNRWA reported that IDF soldiers arrested three unarmed 
Palestinians April 9, as the three were attempting to sneak 
into Israel south of the Sufa Crossing. 
 
-- Israeli media reported that PA security forces arrested 
two Palestinians in Rafah April 9, after IDF soldiers opened 
fire on a group of five Palestinian youths, engaged in what 
the IDF claims were smuggling activities.  The other three 
youths were killed (see "Deaths"). 
 
8.  (SBU) BORDER CROSSINGS: 
 
-- Route Four (Salahadeen Road), the main north-south traffic 
artery, was open April 9-11, with a major detour at Netzarim 
Junction.  Only public transportation is allowed to cross Abu 
Khouli checkpoint. 
 
-- Erez Crossing was open for internationals and for a 
limited number of Palestinians April 8-10, and 2,471 laborers 
and 202 merchants crossed into Israel April 8.  On April 9, 
193 laborers and 63 merchants entered Israel, and on April 10 
4,129 laborers and 202 merchants entered. 
 
-- The Erez Industrial Zone was closed for the weekend April 
8-9.  On April 10, 657 laborers entered. 
 
-- Sufa Crossing was closed April 9.  Sufa was open for the 
import of aggregates used in construction April 10-11. 
 
-- Karni Terminal was open April 9-11. 
 
-- Rafah Terminal was open for arrivals and departures April 
9-11. 
 
-- Tel al-Sultan checkpoint was closed April 9-11.  Toufah 
checkpoint was open for residents of al-Mowassi. 
 
9.  (SBU) POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS: 
 
-- UNRWA and Israeli and Palestinian media reported on 
extensive demonstrations throughout the Gaza Strip April 
9-11.  According to these reports, some 3,000 demonstrators 
turned out April 9 in Khan Yunis in protest over the deaths 
of three Palestinian youths earlier that day in Rafah (see 
"Deaths").  In Rafah April 10, some 10,000 Palestinians 
participated in the youths funeral procession.  Other 
demonstrations took place throughout Gaza in support of the 
defense of the al-Aqsa mosque in the Old City of Jerusalem, 
with some 5,000 demonstrating in Gaza City April 10 and 
smaller demonstrations elsewhere.  UNRWA estimated 
50,000-70,000 demonstrated in Gaza City April 8 to support 
defense of the mosque. 
 
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