INDEPENDENT NEWS

Cablegate: Wb/G Sitrep: June 27, 2005 (1800 Hours Local) --

Published: Mon 27 Jun 2005 02:37 PM
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 002643
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
SUBJECT: WB/G SITREP: JUNE 27, 2005 (1800 HOURS LOCAL) --
TWO ISRAELIS KILLED IN ATTACK NEAR HEBRON; SETTLERS INVADE
CLOSED MILITARY AREA IN GAZA.
1. (SBU) Summary: Palestinian gunmen shot and killed two
Israelis and injured two others outside Bayt Haggai
settlement near Hebron June 24. PIJ and Al-Aqsa Martyrs'
Brigades claimed credit. In subsequent IDF incursions into
the area, the IDF shot and injured two Palestinians in Dura
village, near Hebron. Israeli media and the IDF reported
that ten Israeli settlers, one Israeli policeman, four
Israeli Border Police officers and five IDF soldiers were
lightly injured June 26 after dozens of settlers entered a
closed military zone in al-Mowassi, Gaza, as the IDF was
demolishing 11 vacant structures there. End summary.
---------
West Bank
---------
2. (SBU) ATTACKS:
-- Deaths: On Friday June 24, Palestinian gunmen fired on a
group of Israelis, killing two and injuring two, as they
waited at a hitchhiking post outside the West Bank Settlement
of Beit Haggai near Hebron. Al-Aqsa Brigades and Islamic
Jihad claimed joint responsibility for the attack. The IDF
imposed a curfew on the villages of al-Fawar, Yatta, Dura,
and Samou while searching for the perpetrators.
-- Injuries: In Dura, two Palestinians were lightly injured
by IDF gunfire in clashes that erupted after the imposition
of the curfew.
-- Injuries: On Friday June 24, a border policeman and at
lest six demonstrators were lightly wounded during a protest
of some 200 Palestinians and international activists against
the West Bank security wall near the village of Bil,in, west
of Ramallah.
-- Arrests: On Friday night, the IDF arrested at least 14 PIJ
activists in the Hebron area, including one female militant,
Arij Bader, on suspicion of affiliation with the PIJ and
intention of carrying out a suicide attack.
-- Arrests: On Saturday June 25, IDF forces entered into the
Allar and other villages in the Tulkarm area, and arrested 7
PIJ activists.
-- Arrests: Amidst several gun battles, PA security
officials arrested 18 men in connection with the Jenin
shooting death of a PA police officer in an attack on a
police station on June 23, but the primary suspect, Sa,ad
al-Amin, remained at large.
----
Gaza
----
3. (SBU) ATTACKS:
-- Deaths: Nil.
-- Riots/Injuries: Israeli media and the IDF reported that 10
Israeli settlers, one Israeli policeman, four Israeli Border
Police officers and five IDF soldiers were lightly injured
June 26 after dozens of settlers entered a closed military
zone in al-Mowassi, as the IDF was demolishing 11 vacant
structures there. The IDF undertook the demolition in order
to prevent the use of the outpost8 by extremist
settlers, according to a statement released by the IDF
spokesman,s office. UNRWA reported that some 500 settlers
took part, and Israeli media reported that the settlers took
over and damaged a bulldozer and several IDF vehicles, before
the settlers withdrew to the area around the Beach Hotel.
Israeli media reported that on June 27 that settlers had
returned to the area and were camped in the rubble of the
demolished buildings.
-- Injury: UNRWA reported that four Palestinians, two of them
children age 11 and 12, were injured in the al-Attatra area
of the Rafah refugee camp June 26 when an explosive device
they were handling went off. The two men were critically
injured; the children sustained light injuries, according to
UNRWA.
-- Mortars/Rockets: The IDF reported that Palestinian
militants fired a total of seven mortar shells and two
anti-tank missiles at IDF and Israeli settler targets in the
Gaza Strip June 25-27. Militants fired a Qassam rocket at
Kibbutz Nir Am June 26. No injuries were reported in any of
thee attacks.
-- Shootings: The IDF reported that Palestinian militants
launched a total of eight shooting attacks at IDF and Israeli
settler targets in the Gaza Strip June 25-27.
-- Explosions: The IDF reported that Palestinian police found
and safely disposed of an IED approximately two kilometers
northeast of Kissufim Crossing June 26. IDF soldiers found
and deactivated a second IED in the same area later the same
day.
4. (SBU) BORDER CROSSINGS:
-- Route Four (Salahadeen Road), the main north-south traffic
artery, was open June 25-27, with a major detour at Netzarim
Junction.
-- Erez Crossing was open June 24-26, and 2,547 laborers and
210 merchants crossed into Israel June 24; 225 laborers and
47 merchants crossed June 25; and 5,730 laborers crossed and
450 merchants crossed into Israel June 16.
-- The Erez Industrial Zone remained closed June 24-25. It
re-opened June 26, and 550 laborers entered.
-- Sufa Crossing was closed June 25. On June 26-27, Sufa was
closed for Palestinian laborers, but was open for the import
of aggregates used in construction.
-- Karni Terminal was open June 25-27.
-- The PA Ministry for Civil Affairs closed Rafah Terminal
for arrivals June 25, in order to facilitate the crossing of
the backlog of hundreds of Palestinians waiting on the
Egyptian side. On June 26-27, Rafah was open for both
arrivals and departures.
-- Tel al-Sultan checkpoint was closed June 22. Toufah
checkpoint was open for residents of al-Mowassi, except males
aged 16-30
PEARCE
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