S E C R E T TEL AVIV 007112

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/10/2015
TAGS: PREL PINS MOPS PTER LE IS KPAL KPKO SY GOI EXTERNAL MILITARY RELATIONS
SUBJECT: ISRAELI DEBRIEF ON KATYUSHA ATTACK ON KIRYAT
SHMONA

REF: BEIRUT 4099

Classified By: CDA Gene A. Cretz. Reason 1.4 (B/D)


1. (S) Israeli MFA and MOD sources provided Embassy with
details concerning the December 27 Katyusha attack from
Lebanon on northern Israel. At 2309 local time, Israeli
forces reported three explosions in northern Israel, but the
debris has not been located to date. MOD contacts said
several rockets may have landed near Shlomi, a western
Galilee town that has been hit regularly in the past. At
2329, 2342 and 2346, Israeli forces detected 107mm Katyusha
rocket firings, which landed in Kiryat Shmona, an Israeli
town in the far north. Two of these rockets damaged
residential housing: one landed in the living room of a
free-standing house; the other landed in the stairwell of an
apartment block. No casualties were reported. MFA and MOD
clarified that December 29 AP press reports referring to
rockets "made in Russia; sold to Syria" referred to weapons
used by Hizballah on November 21 rather than the December 27
attack. Outgoing Military Intelligence Chief Farkash
recently briefed the Knesset Foreign Affairs Committee on
this subject, according to MFA Deputy Director General Roni
Yaar.


2. (C) The IDF escorted two UNIFIL soldiers to the impact
sites at 0630 on December 28. The Israeli MFA Director UN
political affairs told Embassy poloff that the GOI blamed the
GOL (for not controlling its territory), but said that
Palestinian organizations may have been responsible for the
rocket attack. He noted a positive change in attitude and
responsiveness from UNIFIL to recent attacks, and praised the
UN Secretary-General's December 28 press statement deploring
the Katyusha attack. MOD civilian contacts confirmed that
the Israeli air force had retaliated against a PFLP-GC base
in Lebanon (Reftel).

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CRETZ