VZCZCXRO2004
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #1076 1761409
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 241409Z JUN 08
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1892
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/JCS WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NSC PRIORITY
UNCLAS JERUSALEM 001076
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE, NSC FOR ABRAMS/SINGH/PASCUAL
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KWBG IS PGOV PTER ASEC
SUBJECT: GAZA CEASEFIRE'S CALM BROKEN BY SHOOTING,
ROCKET/MORTAR FIRE; KEREM SHALOM, KARNI'S BACK-TO-BACK
CROSSINGS STILL CLOSED
1. (SBU) Levels of violence in/around the Gaza Strip remain
low on the fifth day of the ceasefire, but there has been one
IDF shooting of a Palestinian, three Qassam launches and one
mortar fired as of 1630 local on June 24. On June 23,
Palestinian contacts report the IDF shot and seriously
injured a 67-year-old Palestinian man on agricultural land in
northern Gaza. Security contacts and local press report
militants fired one mortar near Karni crossing at 0005 on
June 4, and that three Qassams landed in Israel between
1500-1600 (two hit Sderot, lightly injuring one Israeli, and
one landed in an empty area). Palestinian fisherman report
the Israeli Navy fired warning shots toward them for
approaching a unilaterally-set GOI Fishing Limit Line.
2. (SBU) Early June 24, a bomb exploded outside the home of
an al-Nasser Brigades (PRC militant wing) member in Gaza
City. An ensuing shootout between clans and with Hamas
security forces resulted in five Palestinians injured. Hamas
spokesman said they are investigating the incidents and have
made several arrests. Fatah militants in Gaza City reported
that Hamas police attacked them on June 23 during a sit-in
protest against maltreatment of prisoners at the Red Cross
headquarters, and that six Fatah members were arrested.
3. (SBU) Gaza contacts said Sufa crossing was open on June
24 and an estimated 75 truckloads of commercial and
humanitarian goods has entered Gaza as of 1600 hours local.
Contacts noted that several shipments of plywood were allowed
to pass into Gaza on June 23 for the first time in several
months. Karni/al-Mintar commercial crossing,s back-to-back
transfer area was closed on June 24, but roughly 90
truckloads of grain and animal feed were shipped into Gaza by
conveyer belt there. Kerem Shalom crossing was closed on
June 24, as was the Rafah Border Crossing. Erez crossing was
open to limited passenger traffic pre-arranged with the GOI.
(Note: A very small quantity of approved equipment has been
allowed out of Erez crossing in the past week. Bank of
Palestine General Manager Hashim al-Shawwa told EconOff on
June 23 that his company successfully shipped its credit card
manufacturing machine out of Gaza via Erez crossing last
week. End note).
DUFFY