GAZA SECURITY: CLASHES INTENSIFY; INTERIOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 000882 SIPDIS SIPDIS NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE AND IPA, NSC FOR ABRAMS/DORAN/WATERS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/14/2017 TAGS: PREL KWBG IS KPAL PGOV PINS SUBJECT: GAZA SECURITY: CLASHES INTENSIFY; INTERIOR MINISTER RESIGNS REF: A. JERUSALEM 866 ¶B. JERUSALEM 785 ¶C. JERUSALEM 728 CLASSIFIED BY: CONSUL GENERAL JAKE WALLES, FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY. AFTER TWO DAYS OF FATAH-HAMAS CLASHES THAT HAVE LEFT 7 DEAD AND 58 INJURED, PM ISMAYIL HANIYAH ANNOUNCED INTERIOR MINISTER (MOI) HANI AL-QAWASMI'S RESIGNATION ON MAY ¶14. HANIYAH SAID HE WILL ACT AS MOI UNTIL APPOINTMENT OF A NEW MINISTER. AT A MAY 14 PRESS CONFERENCE, AL-QAWASMI SAID HE RESIGNED BECAUSE HE DOES NOT WANT TO BE "A COSMETIC MINISTER WITHOUT ANY POWERS" AND HE "CANNOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL SECURITY PROBLEMS WITHOUT BEING EMPOWERED WITH CONTROL OVER THE SECURITY FORCES." HE CRITICIZED PRESIDENT ABBAS AND PM HANIYAH FOR FAILING TO SUPPORT HIM AND ALLOWING GAZA'S SECURITY SITUATION TO DETERIORATE. GAZA NATIONAL SECURITY FORCES (NSF) COMMANDER BG JAMAL KAYYAD TOLD POLOFF BY PHONE THAT HE GAVE HIS SUBORDINATE COMMANDERS CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS TO OPERATE AS THE LEGITIMATE SECURITY FORCE BUT REFRAIN FROM INVOLVEMENT IN FACTIONAL CLASHES. HE SAID HAMAS DOES NOT WANT TO BRING ABOUT CALM AND DESCRIBED GAZA AS HIGHLY UNSTABLE. END SUMMARY. INTERIOR MINISTER RESIGNS -------------- ¶2. (SBU) AFTER WEEKS OF POWER STRUGGLES OVER CONTROL OF THE PALESTINIAN SECURITY FORCES (PASF),PM HANIYAH ANNOUNCED THAT HE HAD ACCEPTED MOI HANI AL-QAWASMI'S RESIGNATION DURING THE PA CABINETS MAY 14 SPECIAL SESSION, ACCORDING TO PALESTINIAN JOURNALISTS AND SECURITY CONTACTS. (NOTE: AL-QAWASMI FIRST SUBMITTED HIS RESIGNATION ON APRIL 23, BUT BY PM HANIYAH REJECTED IT. END NOTE). AT THE MEETING (TO DISCUSS GAZA'S DETERIORATING SECURITY SITUATION),HANIYAH CONFIRMED PRESS REPORTS OF THE RESIGNATION AND TOLD THE CABINET HE WILL ACT AS MOI UNTIL APPOINTMENT OF A NEW MINISTER. (NOTE: ACCORDING TO THE PA'S BASIC LAW, TEMPORARY APPOINTMENTS OF NEW MINISTERS ARE NOT PERMITTED; THE PLC MUST CONFIRM A MINISTER BEFORE S/HE PERFORMS MINISTERIAL FUNCTIONS. END NOTE). ¶3. (SBU) AT A MAY 14 PRESS CONFERENCE, AL-QAWASMI SAID HE HAD SUBMITTED HIS RESIGNATION BECAUSE HE DOES NOT WANT TO BE "A COSMETIC MINISTER WITHOUT ANY POWERS." HE SAID "I CANNOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL SECURITY PROBLEMS WITHOUT BEING EMPOWERED WITH CONTROL OVER THE SECURITY FORCES." HE CRITICIZED PRESIDENT ABBAS AND PM HANIYAH FOR FAILING TO SUPPORT HIM AND ALLOWING GAZAS SECURITY SITUATION TO DETERIORATE. (NOTE: IN MEETINGS LAST WEEK, AL-QAWASMI FAILED TO PERSUADE PRESIDENT ABBAS TO SUBORDINATE DIRECTOR-GENERAL FOR INTERNAL SECURITY RASHID ABU SHBAK AND THE PASF HE COMMANDS (PSO, POLICE AND CIVIL DEFENSE) TO THE MOI OR TO IMPLEMENT HIS 100-DAY SECURITY PLAN (REFS A AND B). END NOTE). ¶4. (SBU) AL-QAWASMI CALLED GAZA'S SECURITY SITUATION "EXPLOSIVE" AND "INSANE" AND SAID HE TOLD PRESIDENT ABBAS THAT COMPREHENSIVE FATAH-HAMAS CONFRONTATION IS LIKELY IF THE FACTIONS CONTINUE TO BUILD UP THEIR FORCES. AL-QAWASMI SAID PRESIDENT ABBAS PROMISED HIM FULL SECURITY AUTHORITY WITHIN A MONTH, BUT HE "IS UNABLE TO WAIT A SINGLE DAY UNDER THE CURRENT DANGEROUS SITUATION." ABBAS ALLIES CRITICIZE MOI'S DEMANDS, CALL FOR CALM -------------- ¶5. (SBU) AT A MAY 14 PRESS CONFERENCE, DEPUTY PM AZZAM AL-AHMAD FAULTED AL-QAWASMI FOR INACTION AND INDECISIVENESS, NOTING THAT THE MOI SOUGHT TO RESIGN, WITHDREW HIS RESIGNATION AND THEN RESIGNED AGAIN OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST THREE WEEKS. HE SAID ABBAS HAD PROVIDED AL-QAWASMI WITH BETTER SUPPORT THAN WAS ENJOYED BY ANY PREVIOUS MOI, BUT AL-QAWASMI WAS RELUCTANT TO ACT. AL-AHMAD SAID AL-QAWASMI HAD REQUESTED THAT THE INTERIOR MINISTRY RECEIVE ALL WEAPONS, AMMUNITION AND EQUIPMENT SLATED FOR THE PRESIDENTIAL GUARD (PG),A CLAIM THAT AL-AHMAD CRITICIZED SINCE THE PG IS NOT UNDER THE MOI'S CONTROL. AL-AHMAD ACCUSED UNNAMED PARTIES OF FOMENTING INTERFACTIONAL STRIFE AND SAID THE SECURITY PLAN MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY CLEAR COMMITMENT TO MECCA AGREEMENT. HE SAID THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR BLOODSHED IN GAZA MUST BE BROUGHT TO JUSTICE WITHOUT DELAY. ¶6. (SBU) PLO EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBER YASSER ABD RABBO ISSUED A PRESS STATEMENT MAY 14 CRITICIZING AL-QAWASMI FOR SEEKING TO INCREASE HIS POWERS RATHER THAN SEEKING TO CONTROL VIOLENCE IN GAZA AND BUILD A STRONGER SECURITY ESTABLISHMENT. ABD RABBO CALLED ON PALESTINIANS TO USE CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE RATHER THAN VIOLENCE AND TO AVOID "SELF-DESTRUCTIVE ACTIONS." HE URGED PRESIDENT ABBAS TO DISMANTLE THE HAMAS-ALIGNED "EXECUTIVE FORCE" AND IMMEDIATELY ISSUE AN ORDER TO DISSOLVE ALL MILITIAS. 7 KILLED, 58 INJURED SINCE MAY 12 IN FATAH-HAMAS GUNBATTLES -------------- ¶7. (SBU) FROM MAY 12-14, FATAH-HAMAS CLASHES RESULTED IN 7 DEAD AND 58 INJURED. ON MAY 13, THE EXECUTIVE FORCE OPENED FIRE ON A FUNERAL FOR FATAH ACTIVISTS IN BAYT LAHIYA, KILLING TWO AND INJURING 12. IN A SEPARATE INCIDENT, HAMAS GUNMEN KILLED TWO AL-AQSA BRIGADES ACTIVISTS IN WHAT FATAH LEADERS SAID WAS A DELIBERATE ATTACK IN NORTHERN GAZA. FATAH GUNMEN AMBUSHED A HAMAS ACTIVIST WORKING FOR THE NEW HAMAS-AFFILIATED DAILY "FALASTIN" (PALESTINE DAILY),WHO DIED OF GUNSHOT WOUNDS THE NEXT DAY. ¶8. (SBU) ON MAY 14, EXECUTIVE FORCE GUNMEN AMBUSHED AND KILLED MUHAMMAD AL-ABBASI, A FATAH "SPECIAL FORCES" TROOP AND BODYGUARD FOR FATAH LEADER MAHER MIQDAD, IN GAZA CITY, AND INJURED 3 OTHER FATAH MEMBERS. HAMAS SPOKESMEN CLAIMED THAT FATAH GUNMEN HAD FIRST OPENED FIRE AT AN EXECUTIVE FORCE JEEP, LEADING TO THE EXCHANGE OF FIRE IN WHICH AL-ABBASI WAS KILLED. STREET BATTLES DRIVE-BY SHOOTINGS AND KIDNAPPINGS CONTINUE TO BE REPORTED IN GAZA CITY AND NORTH GAZA AS OF MAY 14 1600 LOCAL. ¶9. (C) IN A MAY 14 PHONECALL, NSF COMMANDER BG JAMAL KAYYAD TOLD POLOFF THAT HE CLEARLY INSTRUCTED HIS SUBORDINATE COMMANDERS TO MAINTAIN THEIR POSITIONS AS THE LEGITIMATE SECURITY FORCE, BUT REFRAIN FROM FACTIONAL CLASHES. HE SAID HAMAS DOES NOT WANT CALM AND DESCRIBED GAZA AS UNSTABLE. HE ADDED THAT AL-QAWASMIS RESIGNATION WAS EXPECTED. COMMENT -------------- ¶10. (C) AL-QAWASMI'S RESIGNATION WILL NOT RESOLVE BASIC FATAH-HAMAS DISPUTES OVER THE SECURITY FORCES OR VIOLENCE IN GAZA. IT WILL BE DIFFICULT FOR PRESIDENT ABBAS AND PM HANIYAH TO AGREE ON AN ACCEPTABLE REPLACEMENT FOR AL-QAWASMI, AND THUS HANIYAH MAY WELL PRESIDE OVER A HAMAS-LED INTERIOR MINISTRY FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE NUG. WALLES