US embassy cable - 05TELAVIV5360

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TEL AVIV 005360 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/31/2015 
TAGS: KWBG, KPAL, PREL, ECON, EAID, PINS, IS, GAZA DISENGAGEMENT, SItrep 
SUBJECT: DISENGAGEMENT SITUATION REPORT, AUGUST 31, 2005 
 
REF: TEL AVIV 5343 
 
Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Gene Cretz.  Reason 1.4 (b) and 
(d). 
 
This is a joint message from Embassy Tel Aviv and Consulate 
General Jerusalem. 
 
This message conveys information as of 1800 hours local time. 
 
1.  (C) Summary: The Knesset approved (58-23) the Israeli 
agreement with Egypt allowing Egypt to post 750 Border Guards 
on the Egypt-Gaza border, and the GOI plans to sign the 
agreement on September 1.  Egyptian Intelligence Chief Omar 
Suleiman briefed General Ward on his August 31 meeting with 
Prime Minister Sharon.  Suleiman said he told Prime Minister 
Sharon that the GOE's bottom line is that Rafah must remain a 
two-way crossing point for the movement of people between 
Gaza and Egypt and there should be no Israeli presence at the 
crossing post-disengagement.  Suleiman said the Egyptian 
government is not opposed to a third-party presence at Rafah, 
if the GOI so requests.  End Summary. 
 
2. (SBU) DISENGAGEMENT STATUS 
 
-- The IDF continues to concentrate on the removal of 
settlers' possessions, demolition of houses, and removal of 
IDF infrastructure. 
 
-- According to one of the legal advisors working with 
Minister Dahlan, the PA continues to seek assurances from the 
GOI that hazardous materials, such as gas tanks, are being 
removed from the houses prior to demolition, as stipulated in 
Quartet Special Envoy Wolfensohn's letter to Minister Dahlan. 
 The letter also states that before the GOI undertakes the 
demolition process, the GOI will provide the PA with those 
parts of its environmental audit that determine the amount of 
hazardous materials in the houses.  The PA has not yet 
received this report, according to the legal advisor. 
 
3.  (SBU) SECURITY SITUATION 
 
GAZA: 
 
-- Quiet Night: The IDF reported no security incidents in 
Gaza from 0600 hours August 30 to 0600 hours August 31. 
 
-- Missile Fired: Palestinian militants fired an anti-tank 
missile mid-day in the direction of IDF tanks and bulldozers 
near Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza, according to Palestinian 
sources.  UNRWA reports that the IDF vehicles were located on 
the green line.  The IDF responded with gunfire towards Beit 
Hanoun.  PA security forces are now searching the area.  No 
injuries were reported. 
 
-- Bulldozers Vandalized: On the morning of August 31, IDF 
forces discovered that 16 bulldozers being used to demolish 
buildings at Neveh Dekalim had been sabotaged during the 
night.  The IDF suspects that volunteers assisting in the 
packing of settlers' possessions were responsible. 
 
4. (SBU) PALESTINIAN REACTIONS 
 
-- PA Civil Affairs Minister/Disengagement Coordinator Dahlan 
continues to recuperate in Amman from a slipped disc, 
according to ConGen sources.  He has been ordered to stay off 
his feet for a week and rest.  It is still unclear if he will 
be back in the West Bank/Gaza in time for QSE Wolfensohn's 
September 3-9 visit to the region. 
 
-- A Hamas delegation met with Egyptian Intelligence Chief 
Suleiman in Gaza on August 30.  After the meeting, a Hamas 
spokesman, Sami Zubu Zuhri, stated that "We don't need an 
Israeli redeployment.  What we need and fight for is a 
comprehensive Israeli pullout from the Gaza Strip, including 
land, sea and air, and to ensure genuine Palestinian 
sovereignty on our lands." 
 
5. (SBU) GOI POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS 
 
-- The Knesset met August 31 and approve the Egypt-Israel 
Border Guard agreement for Gaza by a vote of 58-23.  Defense 
Minister Mofaz presented the agreement to the Knesset, 
arguing there is no military logic to keeping the IDF in the 
Philadelphi corridor and that "the Egyptian deployment does 
not represent a threat."  Defense and Foreign Affairs 
Committee Chairman Yuval Steinitz (Likud) argued at for 45 
minutes against the agreement, and urged MKs to vote against 
it on the grounds that it would "allow an enemy to come to 
the borders of Israel."  The GOI plans to sign the agreement 
on September 1. 
 
6.  (C) BORDER CROSSINGS/HUMANITARIAN ACCESS 
-- Rafah: Egyptian Intelligence Chief Omar Suleiman briefed 
General Ward on his August 31 meeting with Prime Minister 
Sharon.  Suleiman said he told Sharon that the GOE's bottom 
line is that Rafah must remain a two-way crossing point for 
the movement of people between Gaza and Egypt and there 
should be no Israeli presence at the crossing 
post-disengagement. 
-- Suleiman said the Egyptian government is not opposed to a 
third-party presence at Rafah, if the GOI so requests. 
Suleiman also said that Rafah could be closed for up to two 
months to set up the new procedures.  Suleiman said that the 
GOE is prepared to give its assurances that it will not allow 
individuals of concern to the GOI to use the Rafah crossing. 
 
-- On passage of goods, Suleiman said he told Sharon that 
Egypt was prepared to accept the two-way movement of goods 
through the Kerem Shalom crossing in order to facilitate GOI 
monitoring. 
 
-- Suleiman told General Ward that Sharon listened to his 
proposal but made no commitment.  When GOI Defense Minister 
Mofaz started to object to the proposal, Sharon quieted him, 
according to Suleiman. 
 
-- Crossing Talks:  GOI and PA officials, along with the 
World Bank and USAID, were scheduled to meet in Tel Aviv on 
August 31 for another trilateral discussion on the movement 
of agricultural produce, according to USAID officials. 
 
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KURTZER