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