MGGZ01 - ISRAELI GAZA INCURSION - JERUSALEM JUNE

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 002751 SIPDIS SIPDIS OPS CENTER - PLEASE PASS TO SECRETARY'S PARTY NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE AND IPA; NSC FOR ABRAMS/DORAN/LOGERFO E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/29/2016 TAGS: PREL ASEC CASC KPAL KWBG PHUM SUBJECT: MGGZ01 - ISRAELI GAZA INCURSION - JERUSALEM JUNE 29 1800 SITREP REF: JERUSALEM 2748 Classified By: Consul General Jake Walles. Reasons: 1.4 (b) and (d). -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) The IAF conducted an airstrike against PIJ militants in Gaza City and IDF forces continued to shell Qassam launching areas; however, Qassam rockets continued to be launched. Press reports indicate that Hamas militants blew a hole in the border wall between Gaza and Egypt, and that both Egyptian and Palestinian security forces are attempting to keep people from moving through the breach. There have been no developments in the kidnapping case of the missing IDF corporal. There were no additional IDF infrastructure attacks; reftel analyzes the impact of the June 28 attacks. -------------- Israeli Military Moves -------------- 2.(C) Speculation continues over an IDF ground incursion into northern Gaza. The IAF conducted an airstrike on the afternoon of June 29 against what the GOI described to the press as Palestinian Islamic Jihad militants, injuring at least two. Reports continue of IDF shelling of northern areas suspected of serving as Qassam rocket launch areas; Qassam rockets continue to be fired against Israel. -------------- -------------- Palestinian Attack against Border Wall with Egypt -------------- -------------- ¶3. (C) Press reports describe Palestinian militants blowing a 4-meter wide hole in the border between Gaza and Egypt. Egyptian and Palestinian security forces reportedly lined both sides of the border in an attempt to prevent people from moving through the breach. -------------- Kidnapping Update -------------- ¶4. (C) There are no developments in the case of missing IDF corporal Shalit. Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) spokesman, in a statement the Israeli media described as "taunting," outlined three possibilities regarding Shalit at a news conference in Gaza: "Possibility one: the missing soldier, for one reason or another, is dead and maybe there is a morgue available or maybe there is not. Possibility two is that the soldier is still alive, but is suffering a serious injury. Medication might be available or might not be available. Possibility three is that he is fine, but that a long time will pass before he is released." -------------- Infrastructure Update -------------- ¶5. (U) It does not appear that the IDF hit any infrastructure targets on June 29; an analysis of the current infrastructure situation is included in reftel. PLO Chief Negotiator Sa'eb Erekat released a statement on June 29 condemning Israeli activities, saying inter alia "Yesterday Israel bombed Gaza back into the 12th century. Nearly half the population now has no electricity and limited access to water -- a situation which may take months to remedy. Last night, Israel started arresting our lawmakers and crippling what semblance of government we had. What's next?" WALLES