US embassy cable - 05JERUSALEM1578

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 001578 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
NEA FOR FO; NEA/SA/EX FOR AUSTIN-FERGUSON; DEPT FOR 
DS/IP/ITA; DEPT FOR DS/IP/NEA; NSC FOR ABRAMS/DANIN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PTER, PBTS, PHUM, KWBG, KPAL, IS, ASEC, Sitrep 
SUBJECT: WB/G SITREP: APRIL 18, 2005 (1800 HOURS LOCAL) -- 
EIGHT PALESTINIANS ARRESTED IN THE WEST BANK; ONE 
PALESTINIAN, ONE IDF SOLDIER WOUNDED IN THE GAZA STRIP. 
 
This is a joint ConGen Jerusalem/Embassy Tel Aviv cable. 
 
1. (SBU) Summary: In the West Bank, a 12-year-old Palestinian 
boy was wounded by IDF gunfire near Ramallah on April 17. 
Eight Palestinians were arrested from April 15-17 throughout 
the West Bank.  Two firebombs were thrown at passing Israeli 
vehicles on road 443 and near Ofra settlement on April 17. 
In the Gaza Strip, IDF gunfire wounded one Palestinian April 
18 north of the Kissufim Crossing, and Palestinian gunfire 
lightly injured one soldier April 17 west of Khan Yunis. 
Israeli media reported that thousands of Palestinian 
prisoners held in Israeli jails went on a day-long hunger 
strike April 17.  End Summary. 
 
--------- 
West Bank 
--------- 
 
2. (SBU) ATTACKS/SECURITY: 
 
-- Deaths: Nil. 
 
-- Injuries: According to Palestinian media, a 12-year-old 
Palestinian boy was wounded by IDF gunfire near Bayt Liqia 
village, west of Ramallah, on April 17. 
 
-- Arrests: According to Palestinian sources, IDF troops 
arrested three wanted Palestinians in Marda village, near 
Nablus, on April 17.  Two of the arrested Palestinians were 
members of Hamas and one was a member of Fatah. 
 
-- Arrests: According to Palestinian reports, two Hamas 
activists were arrested by IDF soldiers in Silwad village, 
north of Ramallah, on April 18. 
 
-- Arrests: According to Palestinian media, IDF soldiers 
arrested three Palestinian militants in Askar camp in Nablus 
on April 18. 
 
-- Security Incidents: According to Palestinian sources, 
Palestinian gunmen opened fire on IDF positions near Jenin on 
April 17.  No injuries were reported. 
 
-- Security Incidents: According to Palestinian media, a 
firebomb was thrown at passing Israeli vehicles on road 443 
and another thrown at an Israeli vehicle near Ofra settlement 
on April 17.  No injuries were reported. 
 
3. (SBU) INCURSIONS/CONFISCATIONS: 
 
-- According to Palestinian sources, the IDF entered Tubas, 
Tammun, and the village of Faraa,, all in the northern West 
Bank, on April 15.  IDF soldiers set up roadblocks at roads 
connecting those areas before withdrawing early April 16. 
 
-- According to Palestinian reports, the IDF issued 
confiscation orders for 90 dunums (approximately 23 acres) of 
land for military purposes on April 17 in Adasiya village, 
near Hebron.  In addition, confiscation orders for 45 dunums 
(approximately 12 acres) were issued by the IDF for military 
purposes in the villages of Bet Ummar and Halhul located 
close to the settlement of Karnei Tzur, south of Gush Etzion. 
 
 
---- 
Gaza 
---- 
 
4. (SBU) ATTACKS: 
 
-- Deaths: Nil. 
 
-- Injury/Arrests: The IDF reported that IDF gunfire wounded 
one Palestinian April 18 north of the Kissufim Crossing, when 
solders opened fire on a group of as many as four 
Palestinians.  UNRWA reported that the Palestinians were 
arrested subsequently. 
 
-- Injury: The IDF reported that Palestinian gunfire lightly 
injured one soldier April 17 west of Khan Yunis (see 
"Shootings"). 
 
-- Mortars/Rockets: The IDF reported that Palestinians 
militants fired one mortar shell at an IDF outpost west of 
Khan Yunis April 17, and a second mortar shell towards the 
settlement of Rafiah Yam April 18.  Militants fired one 
anti-tank rocket at an IDF outpost near Sufa Crossing April 
17. 
-- Mortars/Rockets: UNRWA reported that militants fired two 
homemade rockets from Bayt Hanoun towards the green line at 
midday April 15.  The Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) 
claimed responsibility for the attack. 
 
-- Shootings: According to the IDF, Palestinian militants 
launched a total of four shooting attacks at IDF and Israeli 
settler targets April 16-18.  One IDF soldier was lightly 
injured (see "Injury"). 
 
-- Explosions: The IDF reported that soldiers discovered and 
safely detonated two IEDs April 16, one four kilometers south 
of the Erez Crossing and the other six kilometers south of 
the Kissufim Crossing. 
 
--Explosion: UNRWA reported that IDF soldiers found and 
destroyed a tunnel April 16 in Rafah, opposite Bloc J. 
 
-- Explosion: UNRWA reported that unknown individuals 
detonated a bomb under the vehicle of PA Military 
Intelligence officer Hajaj al-Sirhi in the early morning 
hours of April 15.  No injuries were reported, but the 
vehicle was destroyed and several houses in the area were 
damaged. 
 
5. (SBU) BORDER CROSSINGS: 
 
-- Route Four (Salahadeen Road), the main north-south traffic 
artery, was open April 16-18, with a major detour at Netzarim 
Junction. 
 
-- Erez Crossing was open April 15-17, and 2,728 laborers and 
210 merchants crossed into Israel April 15.  On April 16, 158 
laborers and 41 merchants entered Israel, and on April 17, 
4,630 laborers and 300 merchants entered. 
 
-- The Erez Industrial Zone was closed April 15-16.  On April 
17, 652 laborers entered. 
 
-- Sufa Crossing was closed for Palestinian laborers but open 
for the import of aggregates used in construction April 16-18. 
 
-- Karni Terminal was open April 16-18. 
 
-- Rafah Terminal was open for arrivals and departures April 
16-18.  Palestinian officials closed Rafah for two hours 
April 16 in protest against IDF use of security scanning 
equipment believed by Palestinians to employ unsafe levels of 
radiation. 
 
-- Tel al-Sultan checkpoint was closed April 16-18.  Toufah 
checkpoint was open for residents of al-Mowassi. 
 
6. (SBU) POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS: 
 
-- UNRWA reported that thousands of Palestinians, some of 
them armed and wearing masks, demonstrated throughout the 
Gaza Strip in commemoration of Prisoners Day, April 17. 
Israeli media reported that thousands of Palestinian 
prisoners held in Israeli jails went on a daylong hunger 
strike April 17. 
Pearce