MGGZ01 - ISRAELI GAZA INCURSION - JERUSALEM JUNE

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 002769 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: 06/30/2016 TAGS: PREL ASEC CASC KPAL KWBG PHUM SUBJECT: MGGZ01 - ISRAELI GAZA INCURSION - JERUSALEM JUNE 30 1800 SITREP REF: JERUSALEM 2694 Classified By: Consul General Jake Walles. Reasons: 1.4 (b) and (d). -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) Political developments led the news Friday afternoon: the GOI announced the revocation of Jerusalem residency permits for four detained Hamas officials and Prime Minister Hanniyyah delivered a sermon in which he sketched out the Hamas plan for continued governance, including a proposal for those Hamas ministers not currently under arrest to take responsibility for multiple ministries. Hanniyyah also called for cancellation of the referendum on the Prisoner's Document. Demonstrations occurred after Friday prayers in all sizable towns in Gaza and the West Bank. There were no developments regarding the kidnapping case of IDF corporal Gilad Shalit, and there are rumors that another IDF soldier has been kidnapped, but no additional details. -------------- Military Developments -------------- ¶2. (U) IDF forces continue operating in the West Bank; during the afternoon of June 30, IDF forces exchanged fire with two al-Aqsa Brigades' militants in the old city of Nablus. There continue to be reports of IDF airstrikes in northern Gaza. -------------- Political Developments -------------- ¶3. (C) The GOI announced the revocation of Jerusalem residency permits for four Hamas legislators; the four (Minister for Jerusalem Affairs Khalid Abu Arafa and PLC members Mohammed Abu Tir, Ahmed Abu Atoun, and Mahmoud Totah) were among those arrested in raids conducted on June 29. ¶4. (C) Prime Minister Ismael Hanniyyah gave a sermon after noon prayers on June 30 in which he announced that his government would continue functioning and that those ministers not currently in prison will be overseeing the function of two or more ministries. There are four remaining ministers in the West Bank who have not been arrested: Minister of Women's Affairs Miriam Saleh (Hamas); Minister of Justice Ahmad al-Khaldi (independent); Minister of Tourism Joudeh Murqus (independent); and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Naser al-Din Shaer (Hamas; reportedly wanted by the GOI). Those ministers remaining in Gaza will also likely be assigned additional portfolios; an announcement is expected within the next several days. ¶5. (U) Hanniyyah's sermon also called for a cancellation of the Referendum on the Prisoners' Document, declared it is time to rebuild the PLO; and said it is time to start talks on the formation of a national unity government. Hanniyyah went on to express conditions regarding these next moves, in line with the Hamas reservations to the Document expressed earlier in the week (details in reftel). Hanniyyah commented that Hamas had made tactical adjustments in its position in the context of the Prisoners' Document, but it had not changed any of its strategic positions. ¶6. (U) Demonstrations occurred in all sizable West Bank and Gaza cities following Friday prayers, with thousands of protesters demonstrating in most locations. Some of the demonstrations included the presence of gunmen; protests have begun to conflate US support for Israel with the ongoing crisis. -------------- Kidnapping Update -------------- ¶6. (U) There are no new developments regarding missing IDF corporal Gilad Shalit. There is breaking news speculating that another IDF soldier has been kidnapped in the West Bank, but few other details. The Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades made the claim; the IDF says it has no missing soldiers. WALLES