US embassy cable - 05TELAVIV3560

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 TEL AVIV 003560 
 
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 
SUBJECT: WB/G SITREP: MORTAR AND ROCKET FIRE CONTINUES IN 
GAZA OVERNIGHT; TWO PROTESTERS INJURED IN WEST BANK BARRIER 
PROTEST -- JUNE 08, 2005 (1300 HOURS LOCAL) 
 
 
This is a joint ConGen Jerusalem/Embassy Tel Aviv cable. 
 
1.  (SBU) Summary: The IDF on June 7 clashed with 
demonstrators protesting the construction of the separation 
barrier near the village of al-Ramadin, southwest of Hebron. 
Two protesters sustained light injuries during the protest. 
PA President Mahmud Abbas is scheduled on June 8 to travel to 
the Gaza Strip to discuss the recent escalation in violence 
and the rescheduling of legislative elections with the 
Palestinians factions.  In Gaza, the casualty count from the 
June 7 rocket attack on a Ganei Tel greenhouse rose to three, 
after a second Palestinian worker died of his injuries later 
in the day June 7.  Mortar and rocket fire continued in and 
from Gaza overnight June 7-8 with some ten mortar rounds, 
three rockets and three anti-tank missiles fired at IDF, 
Israeli and Israeli settler targets.  No injuries were 
reported in any of these attacks.  The militants escaped 
without injury.  PA security forces confronted a militant 
cell northwest of Bayt Lahiya the evening of June 7 as the 
militants were preparing to launch rockets at the northern 
settlement bloc, according to UNRWA.  The militants escaped, 
but the PA forces were able to seize one of the rockets 
before it could be fired.  PA security forces also clashed 
with PIJ militants in the early morning hours of June 8 near 
Jabaliya, as the militants were preparing to launch rockets 
into Israel.  The militants reportedly captured one member of 
the security forces, who was held for several hours until 
Palestinian mediators intervened and negotiated his release. 
End Summary. 
 
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West Bank 
--------- 
 
2.  (SBU) ATTACKS: 
 
-- Death: Nil. 
 
-- Clashes/Injuries: The IDF on June 7 clashed with 
demonstrators protesting the construction of the separation 
barrier near the village of al-Ramadin, southwest of Hebron. 
Two protesters sustained light injuries during the protest. 
 
 
-- Shooting: Palestinian gunmen on June 7 fired at an IDF 
position south of Jenin.  There were no injuries reported 
from this incident. 
 
-- Shooting: Palestinian gunmen on June 7 fired at IDF 
soldiers operating near Ya,bad village, west of Jenin. There 
were no injuries reported from this incident. 
 
3.  (SBU) ARRESTS/SECURITY: 
 
-- Arrests: Israeli security sources reported that three 
members of the PFLP were arrested the morning of June 7 in 
Jerusalem.  The three PFLP members are accused of making 
contacts between PFLP leaders in Jericho and other members of 
the group in Jerusalem in order to carry out attacks. 
 
-- Arrest: Israeli Border Police at the Idhna checkpoint, 
west of Hebron, on June 7 arrested a Palestinian driving a 
vehicle containing ammunition, five flares, and a Molotov 
cocktail. 
 
-- Incursion: The IDF on the morning of June 8 entered Marda 
village, north of Salfit, in response to a planned 
demonstration to protest the construction of the separation 
barrier. 
 
-- Incursion/Arrests: The IDF on June 8 entered Qalqilya and 
Nablus to conduct searches.  Two Fatah activists were 
arrested in the operations. 
 
-- Arrest: According to Israeli sources, the IDF arrested a 
wanted member of the Palestine Islamic Jihad (PIJ) at a 
checkpoint north of Ramallah. 
 
4.  (SBU) DEMOLITIONS: 
 
-- The IDF on June 7 reportedly uprooted trees and leveled 
agricultural land belonging to villagers from Asira 
al-Qibliya, south of Nablus. 
 
5.  (SBU) POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS: 
 
-- Palestinian media on June 8 reported that Palestinian 
Authority (PA) Prime Minister Ahmad Quraya, condemned the 
June 7 Israeli operation in Qabatiya village, near Jenin. 
The PA Ministry of Interior also released a statement 
denouncing the Israeli operation, but urged all Palestinian 
factions to maintain the period of calm agreed to by the 
factions in Cairo. 
 
-- PA President Mahmud Abbas is scheduled on June 8 to travel 
to the Gaza Strip for discussions with the Palestinian 
factions following his meeting in Ramallah with British 
Foreign Secretary Jack Straw.  Abbas is planning to discuss 
the recent escalation in violence and the rescheduling of 
legislative elections. 
 
-- The PA Ministry of Interior (MOI) announced June 7 that PA 
Preventive Security Organization (PSO) officers and PA 
policemen who had engaged in a shootout in Ramallah last 
month have been disciplined and sentenced to prison.  The MOI 
said that PSO and police officers are serving out their 
sentences in a PA jail in Jericho. 
 
---- 
Gaza 
---- 
 
6.  (SBU) ATTACKS: 
 
-- Deaths: Israeli media reported that the casualty count 
from the June 7 rocket attack on a Ganei Tel greenhouse rose 
to three, after a second Palestinian worker died of his 
injuries later in the day June 7. 
 
-- Injuries: Nil. 
 
-- Mortars/Rockets: The IDF reported that militants fired a 
total of ten mortar rounds at IDF and Israeli settler targets 
in the Gaza Strip overnight June 7-8.  In the late afternoon 
of June 7, militants fired three anti-tank missiles in two 
separate attacks in Rafah and near the Kissufim Crossing, and 
fired three rockets into Israel near kibbutz Or-Aner.  No 
injuries were reported in any of these attacks. 
 
-- Mortars/Rockets: UNRWA reported that PA security forces 
clashed with PIJ militants in the early morning hours of June 
8 near Jabaliya, as the militants were preparing to launch 
rockets into Israel.  According to UNRWA staff, the militants 
captured one member of the security forces, who was held for 
several hours until Palestinian mediators intervened and 
negotiated his release. 
 
-- Mortars/Rockets: PA security forces confronted a militant 
cell northwest of Bayt Lahiya the evening of June 7 as the 
militants were preparing to launch rockets at the northern 
settlement bloc, according to UNRWA.  The militants escaped, 
but the PA forces were able to seize one of the rockets 
before it could be fired. 
 
-- Shootings: IDF soldiers exchanged fire with Palestinian 
militants near Karni Crossing the evening of June 7. 
 
7.  (SBU) BORDER CROSSINGS: 
 
-- Route Four (Salahadeen Road), the main north-south traffic 
artery, was open June 8, with a major detour at Netzarim 
Junction. 
 
-- Erez Crossing was open June 7, and 3,971 laborers and 398 
merchants crossed into Israel. 
 
-- The Erez Industrial Zone was open June 7, and 625 laborers 
entered the zone. 
 
-- Sufa Crossing was closed for Palestinian laborers June 8, 
but was open for the import of aggregates used in 
construction. 
 
-- Karni Terminal was open June 8. 
 
-- Rafah Terminal was open for arrivals and departures June 
8. 
 
-- Tel al-Sultan checkpoint was closed June 8.  Toufah 
checkpoint was open for residents of al-Mowassi, except males 
aged 16-30. 
 
 
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