GAZA: SECURITY FORCES BEGIN DEPLOYMENT, BUT POWER

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 000866 SIPDIS SIPDIS NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE AND IPA, NSC FOR ABRAMS/DORAN/WATERS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/11/2017 TAGS: PREL KWBG IS KPAL PGOV PINS SUBJECT: GAZA: SECURITY FORCES BEGIN DEPLOYMENT, BUT POWER STRUGGLE PERSISTS REF: A. JERUSALEM 785 ¶B. JERUSALEM 728 CLASSIFIED BY: CONSUL GENERAL JAKE WALLES, FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY. PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY SECURITY FORCES (PASF) INCREASED THEIR PRESENCE IN GAZA STRIP CITIES MAY 9-10. TECHNICAL TEAM FOR REFORM (TTR) CONTACTS SAY PA PRESIDENT MAHMUD ABBAS (ABU MAZEN) ORDERED PASF TO SUPPORT INTERIOR MINISTER (MOI) HANI AL-QAWASMI'S "100-DAY SECURITY PLAN" (REFTELS) LATE MAY 9, BUT AL-QAWASMI TOLD PALESTINIAN PRESS ON MAY 10 THAT "(THE DEPLOYMENT) IS A PERSONAL EFFORT BY THE COMMANDERS, NOTHING MORE," AND THAT THE OPERATION WAS NOT COORDINATED WITH HIM. THE GAZA NATIONAL SECURITY FORCES (NSF) COMMANDER DENIED TO POLOFF HE TAKES ANY DIRECTION FROM THE MOI. THE HAMAS "EXECUTIVE FORCE" IS NOT CURRENTLY INVOLVED IN THE DEPLOYMENT BUT A HAMAS SPOKESMAN HAS SAID IT PLANS TO SUPPORT THE MOI PLAN IN THE FUTURE. END SUMMARY. POLICE DEPLOY TO GAZA STREETS, BUT MOI DENIES 100-DAY PLAN CONNECTION -------------- ¶2. (C) PALESTINIAN POLICE DEPLOYED TO CHECKPOINTS AND INTERSECTIONS IN GAZA STRIP CITIES, WITH A VISIBLE INCREASE IN POLICE PRESENCE ON MAY 10, ACCORDING TO PALESTINIAN SECURITY CONTACTS AND GAZA CITY-BASED RSO FSNI. ACCORDING TO BG HAZEM ATTALLAH, PRESIDENT ABBAS ORDERED PASF TO DEPLOY TO SUPPORT INTERIOR MINISTER HANI AL-QAWASMI'S "100-DAY SECURITY PLAN" (REFTELS) LATE MAY 9 AFTER HE MET WITH AL-QAWASMI AND PM ISMAYIL HANIYAH. AL-QAWASMI TOLD PALESTINIAN PRESS ON MAY 10, HOWEVER, THAT "(THE DEPLOYMENT) IS A PERSONAL EFFORT BY THE COMMANDERS, NOTHING MORE," AND THAT THE OPERATION WAS NOT COORDINATED WITH HIM. NSF: NO DIRECTION FROM MOI -------------- ¶3. (C) IN A MAY 9 PHONE CALL WITH POLOFF, GAZA NSF COMMANDER BG JAMAL KAYYAD SAID THE MOI PLAN HAS NOT BEEN A FACTOR IN NSF DECISIONS OR DEPLOYMENTS. HE SAID THE NSF ROUTINELY BACKS UP THE POLICE AND PREVENTIVE SECURITY ORGANIZATION (PSO) TO CONFRONT CRIMINALS AND NOTED THE RECENT EXAMPLE OF RAIDS ON SUSPECTS IN THE UNRWA SCHOOL IN RAFAH. BUT, HE INSISTED THE NSF DOES NOT TAKE ANY DIRECTION FROM THE MOI. EXECUTIVE FORCE ROLE PLANNED -------------- ¶4. (SBU) "EXECUTIVE FORCE" SPOKESMAN ISLAM SHAWAN TOLD GAZA PRESS MAY 10 THAT THE FORCE WILL NOT DEPLOY IN SUPPORT OF THE MOI PLAN IN THE FIRST TWO WEEKS OF THE DEPLOYMENT, BUT WILL JOIN OPERATIONS AT A LATER STAGE. GAZA SECURITY CONTACTS SAY THE MOI ALSO PLANS TO INCLUDE THE FORCE IN THE JOINT OPERATIONS CENTER IN GAZA CITY, JOINING LIAISON OFFICERS FROM THE POLICE, NSF AND OTHER PASF. COMMENT -------------- ¶5. (C) THE POLICE DEPLOYMENT IN SUPPORT OF THE MOI "100-DAY PLAN" IS UNLIKELY TO BE SUSTAINED OR SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACT GAZA'S SECURITY SITUATION. PRESIDENT ABBAS LIKELY ORDERED THE DEPLOYMENT TO DEFUSE TENSION WITH THE INTERIOR MINISTER, WHO HAD SOUGHT TO RESIGN. THE MINISTER HAS NO CONTROL OVER ANY PASF ELEMENTS TO IMPLEMENT HIS PLAN, AND THESE FORCES GENERALLY REMAIN UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF HIS PUTATIVE SUBORDINATE, RASHID ABU SHBAK. WALLES