ATTACK ON KEREM SHALOM CROSSING: EGYPTIAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 003923

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/26/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER MOPS MEPN KPAL EG IS
SUBJECT: ATTACK ON KEREM SHALOM CROSSING: EGYPTIAN
REACTIONS

REF: WELCH/JONES/RICCARDONE 06/25/2006 TELCOM

Classified by Ambassador Francis Ricciardone for reasons 1.4
(b) and (d).


1. (C) On June 25, the Ambassador discussed the recent
attack on Israeli forces at the Kerem Shalom crossing with
Defense Minister Tantawi, Foreign Minister Aboul Gheit, and
EGIS Deputy Gohar (in Minister Soliman's absence). All three
agencies were obviously following events closely and they
have compared reports with us throughout the day. They
indicated that their respective channels with the Israelis
were working, and that Egypt was deeply concerned both about
potential Israeli reactions and about Hamas' role in the
attack. In particular, MOD worried that renewed violence in
Gaza could impel panicked attempts at another mass breach of
the Rafah border, as last occurred in January.


2. (C) By noon, we received confirmation that all of the
border crossings between Egypt, Israel, and Gaza had been
closed. According to the MFO, a group of Israeli soldiers
had been scheduled to cross at Kerem Shalom to go to MFO's
North Camp for training but were not permitted to do so.
They unsuccessfully tried to cross into Egypt at another
border point further south. It is not clear if they were
stopped by the Israelis or the Egyptians.


3. (C) Per ref telcom, Ambassador urged Hossam Gohar, deputy
chief of EGIS for international affairs, to use GOE influence
with the Palestinians to reduce tensions and restore peace.
Specifically, he also requested that the GOE prevent
Palestinian Foreign Minister Zahar from leaving Gaza and to
offer all possible assistance to Israel in its search for the
missing soldier.


4. (C) Previously, the Egyptians had positioned firetrucks
on the border that could be used to aim high-powered
waterhoses at individuals trying to cross from Gaza into
Egypt. According to LAWIO's director Major General Nagy M.
Kamal, Egypt recently staged additional firetrucks in
anticipation of future unrest.


5. (U) Egyptian television's Gaza correspondent Walid Abdel
Rahman reported that Israeli forces with heavy machine-guns
and artillery are in Rafah and that MFO personnel were unable
to approach the area. Rahman said that a wide-scale Israeli
military operation is expected. Rahman quoted Palestinian
sources as saying that the attack was in response to Israel's
military escalation and the recent assassination of
resistance leaders. He said that according to Israeli
sources, four Palestinian attackers were killed.
RICCIARDONE