WB/G SITREP: IDF KILLS THREE PALESTINIANS IN GAZA,

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 TEL AVIV 002236

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TAGS: KWBG PHUM PREL PTER ASEC CASC GZ IS
SUBJECT: WB/G SITREP: IDF KILLS THREE PALESTINIANS IN GAZA,
MILITANTS LAUNCH TWO-DAY MORTAR BARRAGE IN RESPONSE --
APRIL 11, 2005 (1200 HOURS LOCAL)


This is a joint ConGen Jerusalem/Embassy Tel Aviv cable.


1. (SBU) Summary: Israeli police on April 10 arrested 31
Israeli right-wing protesters during a demonstration in the
Old City of Jerusalem. Israeli police also arrested eight
Palestinians during clashes in the vicinity of the Lion,s
Gate entrance to the Old City the same day. Israeli police
on April 10 arrested West Bank Hamas leader Hassan Yusif, as
well as his son and one aide, after Yusif entered Jerusalem
without Israeli authorization. The police released all three
the same evening. In Gaza, IDF soldiers shot and killed
three Palestinian youths April 9 on the western edge of the
Rafah refugee camp. According to the IDF, the youths, aged
14-17, were involved in smuggling and did not respond to
warning shots the soldiers fired. Palestinians claim the
three were among a group of five youths playing soccer in the
cleared area near the fence. The other two youths were
arrested. In retaliation for the youths' deaths, Palestinian
militants fired more than 75 mortar shells and homemade
rockets at IDF and Israeli settler targets April 9-11. No
injuries were reported from these mortar and rocket attacks,
although one house in Neve Dekalim was damaged. End Summary.

--------------
West Bank
--------------


2. (SBU) ATTACKS:

-- Deaths: Nil.

-- Clashes/Injuries: Palestinians in the village of Deir
Ballut on April 8 clashed with Israeli security forces to
protest the construction of the separation barrier, and 16
Palestinians sustained light injuries.

-- Clashes/Injuries: Israeli police on April 10 clashed with
Palestinians at the Lion,s Gate entrance to the Old City of
Jerusalem. Three Israeli policemen and 13 Palestinians
sustained injuries, none life-threatening (See &Old City
Demonstrations/Arrests8).

-- Clashes/Injuries: Palestinians on April 10 clashed with
the IDF near Rachel,s Tomb in Bethlehem, resulting in two
Palestinian injuries from rubber bullets. Palestinians also
threw an explosive device at an IDF position located near the
Tomb. There were no reported injuries from this incident.


3. (SBU) ARRESTS/SECURITY:

-- Arrests: Israeli security forces on April 9 arrested two
Palestinian teenagers at the Huwwara checkpoint, south of
Nablus, after the IDF discovered the teenagers carrying a bag
containing materials used to make firebombs.

-- Incursions/Arrests: The IDF on April 9 entered Illar
village, northeast of Tulkarm, and Beita village, south of
Nablus, and arrested a total of five Palestinians.

-- Settler Incidents: Israeli settlers on April 9 blocked a
West Bank road connecting Nablus and Ramallah. Elsewhere,
Israeli settlers threw stones at a Palestinian home in Deir
Sharaf village, northwest of Nablus. There were no injuries
reported from this incident.

-- Shooting: Palestinians on April 9 fired gunshots at an
Israeli vehicle traveling near Tel village, south of Nablus.
There were no reported injuries from this incident. The
al-Aqsa Martyrs, Brigades claimed responsibility for the
shooting.

-- Security: Palestinians on April 9 threw explosive devices
at IDF soldiers operating near Bethlehem. There were no
reported injuries from this incident.

-- Old City Demonstrations/Arrests: According to press
reports, Israeli police on April 10 arrested 31 Israeli
right-wing protesters during a demonstration in the Old City
of Jerusalem. Most of those detained were subsequently
released from custody. In addition, Israeli police arrested
eight Palestinians during clashes in the vicinity of the
Lion,s Gate entrance to the Old City.

-- Arrests: Israeli police on April 10 arrested West Bank
Hamas leader Hassan Yusif, as well as his son and one aide,
after Yusif entered Jerusalem without Israeli authorization.
The police made the actual arrests after all three left the
Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount compound, and released them from
custody the same evening.

-- Arrests: Israeli security forces arrested two Palestinians
militants April 10, one in Idhna village, west of Hebron, and
the other in Kafr Ni,ma, west of Ramallah.

-- Arrests: The IDF on April 10 arrested three Palestinians
in possession of firebombs near Jamma,in village, south of
Nablus.

-- Incursion/Arrests: The IDF on April 10 entered Silwad
village, north of Ramallah, and arrested 10 Palestinians.

-- Incursion/Arrest: The IDF on April 10 entered al-Yamun
village, northwest of Jenin, and arrested one PIJ activist.

-- Incursion/Arrest: The IDF on April 11 entered Nablus and
arrested a local Fatah activist with reported ties to
Hizballah. In addition to the Fatah activist, the IDF took
20 Palestinians into custody for questioning before
withdrawing from the city.

-- Security: Palestinians on April 10 threw five firebombs at
an Israeli vehicle traveling near Atara village, north of
Ramallah, damaging the vehicle. There were no injuries
reported from this incident.


4. (SBU) DEMOLITIONS/CONFISCATIONS:

-- Confiscation orders: According to Palestinian media,
Israeli military authorities on April 9 issued land
confiscation orders for 700 dunams in Deir Ibzi, village,
west of Ramallah. Media also reported that Israeli
authorities ordered the confiscation of 50 dunams of
Palestinian land in Halhul and Bayt Ummar villages, north of
Hebron.


5. (SBU) POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS:

-- Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmud Abbas
condemned the April 9 shooting of three Palestinians by the
IDF near the Gaza-Egyptian border, calling the incident a
violation of the agreements reached between the Israeli
Government and the PA at the Sharm al-Shaykh summit in
February.

-- Israeli security services on April 10 detained for several
hours Abbas Zaki, a senior Fatah official and Palestinian
Legislative Council (PLC) representative from Hebron, after
Zaki entered into the West Bank from Jordan at the Allenby
Bridge crossing.

--------------
Gaza
--------------


6. (SBU) ATTACKS:

-- Death: UNRWA reported that a PIJ militant, shot and
injured by IDF soldiers in January as he was attempting to
fire a mortar at Netzarim settlement, died of his wounds
April 10.

-- Deaths: UNRWA and media reported that IDF soldiers shot
and killed three Palestinian youths April 9 on the western
edge of the Rafah refugee camp. According to the IDF, the
three youths, aged 14-17, were involved in smuggling and did
not respond to warning shots the soldiers fired.
Palestinians claim the three were among a group of five
youths who were playing soccer in the cleared area near the
fence. The other two youths were arrested, according to
Israeli media reports (see "Arrests").

-- Death: UNRWA reported that a Palestinian man was found
fatally shot in Gaza City April 8 in what appears to have
been an internal Palestinian dispute. His family closed off
the main streets in the city and burned tires until PA
security forces dispersed the crowd of relatives later the
same evening.

-- Death/Injury: UNRWA reported that a Palestinian woman was
shot and killed and her sister severely beaten by a group of
masked, armed Palestinians the evening of April 8 in Bayt
Lahiyah. The reasons for the attack are unknown; PA police
are investigating.
-- Injuries: UNRWA reported that shrapnel injured at least
seven Palestinians April 9 when rockets and mortars fired by
militant groups at Israel settler targets in the Gaza Strip
fell short and landed in Palestinian areas.

-- Injuries: UNRWA reported that shrapnel injured two
militants the April 8 when the rocket they were attempting to
fire at Neve Dekalim exploded prematurely.

-- Catch-up item: Injury: UNRWA reported that IDF gunfire
injured one Palestinian April 7 in Rafah.

-- Mortars/Rockets: UNRWA reported that Palestinian militants
fired more than 75 mortar shells and homemade rockets at IDF
and Israeli settler targets April 9-11. The rockets were
reportedly fired in revenge for the killing of three
Palestinian youths aged 14-17 in Rafah April 9 see "Deaths A
variety of terrorist organizations, including Palestinian
Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and the Popular Resistance Committees
(PRC),and the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades claimed
responsibility for the attacks. One building in Neve Dekalim
was reportedly damaged but no Israeli injuries were reported.

-- Mortars/Rockets: UNRWA reported that three Qassam rockets
were fired into Israel April 9-11, two towards Sderot and one
towards Kibbutz Nahal Oz. The IDF reported only a single
Qassam in the same period, fired at Nativ Ha'asara village in
the Negev.

-- Shootings: The IDF reported that Palestinian militants
launched a total of six shooting attacks at IDF and Israeli
settler targets in the Gaza Strip April 9-12.

-- Explosions: The IDF reported that IDF soldiers found and
deactivated two explosive devices April 9, one near Neve
Dekalim and the other north of Karni Crossing.


7. (SBU) ARRESTS:

-- UNRWA reported that IDF soldiers arrested three unarmed
Palestinians April 9, as the three were attempting to sneak
into Israel south of the Sufa Crossing.

-- Israeli media reported that PA security forces arrested
two Palestinians in Rafah April 9, after IDF soldiers opened
fire on a group of five Palestinian youths, engaged in what
the IDF claims were smuggling activities. The other three
youths were killed (see "Deaths").


8. (SBU) BORDER CROSSINGS:

-- Route Four (Salahadeen Road),the main north-south traffic
artery, was open April 9-11, with a major detour at Netzarim
Junction. Only public transportation is allowed to cross Abu
Khouli checkpoint.

-- Erez Crossing was open for internationals and for a
limited number of Palestinians April 8-10, and 2,471 laborers
and 202 merchants crossed into Israel April 8. On April 9,
193 laborers and 63 merchants entered Israel, and on April 10
4,129 laborers and 202 merchants entered.

-- The Erez Industrial Zone was closed for the weekend April
8-9. On April 10, 657 laborers entered.

-- Sufa Crossing was closed April 9. Sufa was open for the
import of aggregates used in construction April 10-11.

-- Karni Terminal was open April 9-11.

-- Rafah Terminal was open for arrivals and departures April
9-11.

-- Tel al-Sultan checkpoint was closed April 9-11. Toufah
checkpoint was open for residents of al-Mowassi.


9. (SBU) POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS:

-- UNRWA and Israeli and Palestinian media reported on
extensive demonstrations throughout the Gaza Strip April
9-11. According to these reports, some 3,000 demonstrators
turned out April 9 in Khan Yunis in protest over the deaths
of three Palestinian youths earlier that day in Rafah (see
"Deaths"). In Rafah April 10, some 10,000 Palestinians
participated in the youths funeral procession. Other
demonstrations took place throughout Gaza in support of the
defense of the al-Aqsa mosque in the Old City of Jerusalem,
with some 5,000 demonstrating in Gaza City April 10 and
smaller demonstrations elsewhere. UNRWA estimated
50,000-70,000 demonstrated in Gaza City April 8 to support
defense of the mosque.

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