EGYPT TELLS HAMAS TO HALT GAZA ROCKET ATTACKS

C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 001242 SIPDIS SIPDIS NSC STAFF FOR WATERS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/26/2017 TAGS: PREL MEPN MOPS KPAL EG IS SUBJECT: EGYPT TELLS HAMAS TO HALT GAZA ROCKET ATTACKS Classified by CDA Stuart Jones for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Egypt has warned Hamas to halt rocket attacks from Gaza against Israel, according to wire service and other reports. These reports are consistent with information provided to Embassy Cairo by senior GOE security officials. Note: The Jerusalem Post and the independent Cairo daily Al-Masry Al-Youm both have reported that the Egyptian message to Hamas originated with EGIS director Omar Soliman and was passed to Hamas Prime Minister Haniya by Borhan Hammad, the senior Egyptian security official in Gaza. End note. ¶2. (U) The Egyptian MFA issued a statement on April 25 denouncing recent Israeli operations in the Palestinian territories which resulted in the killings of Palestinians. Foreign Minister Aboul Gheit also "called upon the Palestinian side to restrain itself from any actions which might be of benefit to the enemies of peace, like launching missiles which present a pretext to the Israeli side to launch its aggresions against the Palestinian people." JONES