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).


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Summary
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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.

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Israeli Military Moves
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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.

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Palestinian Attack against Border Wall with Egypt
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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.

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Kidnapping Update
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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."

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Infrastructure Update
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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