US embassy cable - 05TELAVIV2255

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TEL AVIV 002255 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE; NEA/SA/EX FOR RICHIE; DEPT FOR 
DS/IP/ITA; DEPT FOR DS/IP/NEA; NSC FOR ABRAMS/DANIN; USAID 
FOR DCHA, DCHA/FPP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KWBG, PHUM, PREL, PTER, ASEC, CASC, GZ, IS, SItrep, Sitrep 
SUBJECT: WB/G SITREP: NINE PALESTINIANS INJURED IN WEST 
BANK CLASHES -- APRIL 12, 2005 (1200 HOURS LOCAL) 
 
 
This is a joint ConGen Jerusalem/Embassy Tel Aviv cable. 
 
1.  (SBU) Summary: Palestinians in Nablus on April 11 clashed 
with IDF soldiers conducting arrest operations in the city, 
resulting in light injuries to nine Palestinians. 
Palestinian gunmen on April 11 opened fire and threw stones 
at a Palestinian Authority (PA) police station in Hebron, 
following a raid by the PA police on a local market to remove 
stalls illegally placed by vendors.  The owners of the stalls 
attacked the police station, causing some damage but no 
reported injuries.  The IDF arrested a total of six 
Palestinians overnight April 11-12 in the West Bank.  In 
Gaza, Palestinian militants fired a total of 15 mortar shells 
and homemade rockets in nine separate attacks on IDF and 
Israeli settler targets overnight April 11-12 in the Gaza 
Strip, according to UNRWA.  The IDF reported four mortar 
shells fired in three attacks during the same period. 
Neither UNRWA nor the IDF had any reports of injuries from 
the attacks.  End Summary. 
 
--------- 
West Bank 
--------- 
 
2.  (SBU) ATTACKS: 
 
-- Deaths: Nil. 
 
-- Clashes/Injuries: Palestinians in Nablus on April 11 
clashed with IDF soldiers conducting arrest operations in the 
city, resulting in light injuries to nine Palestinians. 
 
3.  (SBU) ARRESTS/SECURITY: 
 
-- Incursions/Arrests: The IDF on the evening of April 11 
entered the West Bank city of Qalqiliya and the villages of 
 Azzun and  Azzun  Atma to search for wanted Palestinian 
militants.  During these operations, the IDF arrested two 
Fatah activists from Qalqiliya. 
 
-- Arrests: The IDF on April 12 arrested a total of four 
Palestinians in Hebron and the Jenin area.  In Hebron, the 
IDF entered the city and arrested a member from the Palestine 
Islamic Jihad (PIJ).  Three members from the Popular Front 
for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) were arrested by the 
IDF in the vicinity of Jenin. 
 
-- Incursion: The IDF on April 12 entered Yatta village, 
south of Hebron, to conduct searches for wanted militants. 
There were no reported arrests from this operation. 
 
4.  (SBU) POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS: 
 
-- Palestinian gunmen on April 11 opened fire and threw 
stones at a Palestinian Authority (PA) police station in 
Hebron, following a raid by the PA police on a local market 
to remove stalls illegally placed by vendors.  The owners of 
the stalls attacked the police station, causing some damage 
but no reported injuries. 
 
---- 
Gaza 
---- 
 
5.  (SBU) ATTACKS: 
 
-- Deaths: Nil. 
 
-- Injuries: Nil. 
 
-- Mortars/Rockets: UNRWA reported that Palestinian militants 
fired a total of 15 mortar shells and homemade rockets in 
nine separate attacks on IDF and Israeli settler targets 
overnight April 11-12 in the Gaza Strip.  The IDF reported 
four mortar shells fired in three attacks during the same 
period.  Neither UNRWA nor the IDF had any reports of 
injuries from the attacks. 
 
-- Shootings: According to the IDF, Palestinian militants 
shot at an IDF outpost southeast of Netzarim April 11. 
 
6.  (SBU) BORDER CROSSINGS: 
 
-- Route Four (Salahadeen Road), the main north-south traffic 
artery, was open April 12, with a major detour at Netzarim 
Junction. 
 
-- Erez Crossing was open for internationals and for a 
limited number of Palestinians April 11, and 4,574 laborers 
and 290 merchants crossed into Israel. 
 
-- The Erez Industrial Zone was open April 11, and 668 
laborers entered. 
 
-- Sufa Crossing was closed for Palestinian laborers April 
12, but was open for the import of aggregates used in 
construction. 
 
-- Karni Terminal was open April 12. 
 
-- Rafah Terminal was open for arrivals and departures April 
12. 
 
-- Tel al-Sultan checkpoint was closed April 12.  Toufah 
checkpoint was open for residents of al-Mowassi. 
 
 
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