C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 004644


STATE FOR NEA FRONT OFFICE AND NEA/IPA; NSC FOR
ABRAMS/DORAN/MUSTAFA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/03/2015
TAGS: PREL KPAL KWBG
SUBJECT: OCTOBER 2 PALESTINIAN CLASHES WITH HAMAS

REF: TEL AVIV 5956

Classified By: Consul General Jake Walles. Reasons: 1.4. (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary: Clashes took place in Gaza on October 2
between Palestinian Authority (PA) policemen and Hamas
gunmen. Three Palestinians were killed -- a senior police
officer and two civilians -- while at least 51 were wounded,
many of whom were bystanders. Two police stations in the
vicinity of Gaza City were badly damaged, while others were
set ablaze. PLO Chief Negotiator Sa'eb Erekat and PLC Member
Hanan Ashrawi, in separate conversations with Consul General,
provided their views on the events, while the PA and Hamas
have offered differing public explanations. These clashes
represent the first efforts by the PA Security Forces to
enforce the display of weapons in public. End Summary.


2. (C) PLO Chief Negotiator Sa'eb Erekat, speaking to the
Consul General during the evening of October 2, said the
clashes began as a result of PA efforts to crack down on
public displays of weapons. Erekat said that Hamas
retaliated against PA police stations using weapons -
including rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs). Erekat
emphasized that PA forces consider themselves outgunned and
appealed again for additional weapons and ammunition for the
security forces. The PA Ministry of Interior issued a
public statement that said the clashes started when a PA
police patrol attempted to break up a fight between
individuals near Bank of Palestine in al Nasser Street in
Gaza city. One of those involved in the fight was a Hamas
member who called other gunmen as reinforcements. There are
also press reports that a PA police patrol in Gaza City
stopped a car containing four armed Hamas members and tried
to confiscate their weapons; one person was Mohammed Rantisi,
a son of Abdel Aziz Rantisi, the former Hamas leader killed
by Israel two years ago. The encounter reportedly escalated
into gunfire between the Hamas members and the PA police,
with armed Fatah gunmen joining in on the side of the police.
PA sources said that Hamas gunmen fired RPGs at PA police
stations in Gaza City neighborhoods. The clashes moved on to
the Shati Refugee camp west of Gaza, which is where the
Palestinian police officer was killed. Other details are in
reftel.


3. (C) PLC Member Hanan Ashrawi told Consul General on
October 3 that she expected increased criticism against
Hamas, who she thought was losing support because of
incidents such as those which occurred in the Jabalya Refugee
camp on September 23. She said she was urging others to
speak up, and clarify that clashes such as those which had
occurred on October 2 were not simply Fatah vs. Hamas, but
rather Hamas vs. the Palestinian Authority. Ashrawi also
remarked that recent Hamas statements were the first time she
had seen them "so meek;" in reaction to Israeli threats of
further retaliation against more Qassam rocket launches,
Hamas spokesmen specifically articulated that they would
return to the "calm," rather their usual more vitriolic
response. Ashrawi also thought that Hamas was taken aback by
the recent voting results in the West Bank, which have been
widely seen as a Fatah victory. In all, Ashrawi stressed the
need for the PA to "come out on top" in any actions against
Hamas, and to be seen as being on the right side of the issue.


4. (C) The Follow-Up Committee of the National and Islamic
Factions -- which includes PA representatives as well as
Fatah, Hamas and other militias -- met late on October 2 in
Gaza to contain the crisis, according to press reports.
Ibrahim Abu al-Naja, coordinator of the committee, told the
press that the meeting contained the crisis and all gunmen
were pulled from the streets as of midnight. Abu al-Naja also
said that further meetings will take place to ensure that
such incidents will not reoccur.


5. (C) The PA and Hamas exchanged accusations about the
clashes. In a public statement, the Palestinian Interior
Ministry blamed Hamas for the escalation in Gaza: "Hamas has
breached the Palestinian factions' agreements and the
Palestinian Authority's orders to lay down its arms ... The
clashes erupted after PA police offices attempted to
confiscate weapons of gunmen who were in a car. The gunmen
proceeded to fire at the officers; this caused the outbreak
of the recent events." Hamas refuted the PA's version,
insisting that PA police opened fire at Mohammed Rantisi,s
car and attempted to arrest him. Hamas official Mushir
al-Masri accused elements within the PA of creating friction
in an attempt to crack down on Hamas, according to press
reports. Other Hamas officials, including Mohammed Nazal
from Lebanon, said Hamas is being targeted by "a few within
the PA who seek to start a Palestinian civil war."


6. (C) Comment: These clashes represent the first efforts by
PA security forces to enforce the ban on the display of
weapons in public. We will monitor the situation closely to
determine if these first steps are part of a sustained
effort.

WALLES