MGGZ01- QUICK ACTION CLOSES BREECH IN WALL BETWEEN

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 002771

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
SUBJECT: MGGZ01- QUICK ACTION CLOSES BREECH IN WALL BETWEEN
GAZA AND EGYPT

REF: JERUSALEM 2751

Classified By: Consul General Jake Walles per reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) At 1245L on June 29, gunmen from the Popular
Resistance Committees and the Hamas-affiliated Izzedine
Qassam Brigades detonated a landmine along the Egypt-Gaza
border, according to Khalil Khatib, a security officer in
President Abbas' office (reftel). The explosion blasted out
two adjacent sections of the concrete border wall located
across from the Rafah refugee camp, creating a 4-meter wide
gap.


2. (C) Immediately after the explosion, Egyptian troops
contacted the Palestinian Presidential Guard (PG) and
National Security Forces (NSF). Egyptian troops then
deployed along the Philadelphi Route, imposed a curfew in the
area of the explosion, and fired into the air in order to
prevent Palestinians from penetrating the border. PG and NSF
forces joined them on the other side. Khatib said that
Egyptian forces prevented at least 45 Palestinians from
crossing through the breech.


3. (C) Shortly afterwards, the Municipality of Rafah
provided bulldozers and sealed the gap in the wall. By 1330L
on June 29, the situation was brought under control and the
hole sealed. Egyptian and Palestinian security officials
told media that no Palestinians passed through the hole.
(Comment: The rapid repair of the border this time stands in
stark contrast to a similar event in September 2005, when the
border was not sealed for several days. In that previous
event, hundreds of Palestinians crossed the border
unhindered, leading to tensions with both Egypt and Israel.
End Comment).

WALLES