FATAH-HAMAS GUNBATTLES BREAK OUT IN RAFAH; ONE

UNCLAS JERUSALEM 001093 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE, NSC FOR ABRAMS/SINGH/WATERS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KWBG KPAL IS PTER SUBJECT: FATAH-HAMAS GUNBATTLES BREAK OUT IN RAFAH; ONE FATAH MEMBER KILLED ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY. IN THE MOST SERIOUS OUTBREAK OF FACTIONAL VIOLENCE SINCE MAY 21, ONE FATAH FIGHTER WAS KILLED AND NINE OTHER PALESTINIANS WERE INJURED IN RAFAH CLASHES EARLY JUNE ¶7. A BRIEF GUNBATTLE BETWEEN PALESTINIAN SECURITY FORCES (PASF) AND HAMAS GUNMEN BROKE OUT IN GAZA CITY JUNE 6 AFTER NATIONAL SECURITY FORCES (NSF) OFFICERS SAID THEY FOUND TUNNELS FOR EXPLOSIVES DUG NEAR THE NSF HEADQUARTERS AND ON THE ROUTE BETWEEN EREZ CROSSING AND GAZA CITY. PALESTINIAN MILITANTS FIRED 5 QASSAM ROCKETS AND 13 MORTARS FROM NORTHERN GAZA ON JUNE 6, WITH 4 LANDING IN/NEAR SDEROT, BUT NO INJURIES OR DAMAGE WAS REPORTED. END SUMMARY. RENEWED FACTIONAL CLASHES IN RAFAH AND GAZA CITY -------------- --- ¶2. (SBU) HAMAS GUNMEN SHOT AND KILLED 27-YEAR-OLD FATAH ACTIVIST FUAD WA'AL WAHBI AND INJURED NINE OTHERS IN AN EXCHANGE OF FIRE IN RAFAH EARLY JUNE 7, ACCORDING TO PALESTINIAN SECURITY CONTACTS AND ARABIC-LANGUAGE PRESS. AFTER FIGHTING IN THE STREET, MASKED HAMAS FIGHTERS HAD SURROUNDED FOUR HOUSES WHERE WAHBI AND OTHER FATAH MEMBERS HAD TAKEN REFUGE AND ATTACKED THEM WITH AUTOMATIC RIFLE FIRE AND EXPLOSIVES. FATAH MILITANTS RESPONDED BY RAIDING THE HOUSE OF A HAMAS MEMBER/ISLAMIC TEACHER ABD AL-KHALIQ YUNIS, WHO IS REPORTEDLY IN CRITICAL CONDITION. SPORADIC SHOOTING AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF FIGHTING POSITIONS BY BOTH SIDES IN RAFAH CONTINUED AS OF 1200 LOCAL. ¶3. (SBU) A BRIEF GUNBATTLE BROKE OUT IN GAZA CITY BETWEEN HAMAS AND FATAH FIGHTERS AFTER NSF OFFICERS SAID THEY FOUND TUNNELS DUG NEAR THE NSF HEADQUARTERS (AL-SARAYA) AND THE SALAH AL-DIN CORRIDOR FROM EREZ CROSSING INTO GAZA CITY. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED IN THIS FIGHTING. BOTH HAMAS AND NSF FIGHTERS WERE REPORTEDLY TAKING UP ROOFTOP FIGHTING POSITIONS AS OF 1200 LOCAL. SEPARATELY, FATAH ACTIVISTS KIDNAPPED TWO HAMAS MEMBERS, INCLUDING A BODYGUARD OF PM ISMAYIL HANIYAH, IN GAZA CITY JUNE 6 AND BEAT THEM AND SHAVED THEIR HAIR/BEARDS BEFORE RELEASING THEM. ROCKET AND MORTAR FIRE CONTINUES -------------- ¶4. (SBU) PALESTINIAN MILITANTS FIRED 5 QASSAM ROCKETS FROM NORTHERN GAZA ON JUNE 6. FOUR LANDED IN/NEAR SDEROT BUT CAUSED NO INJURIES OR DAMAGE. MILITANTS ALSO FIRED 13 MORTARS TOWARD IDF POSITIONS NEAR THE PERIMETER FENCE AT NAHAL OZ AND EREZ ON JUNE 6, BUT CAUSED NO INJURIES OR SIGNIFICANT PROPERTY DAMAGE. WALLES