Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07TELAVIV2176
2007-07-17 12:46:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Tel Aviv
Cable title:
ISRAELIS APPROVE LIST OF 1,000 PALESTINIANS TO
how-toVZCZCXRO4734 OO RUEHROV DE RUEHTV #2176 1981246 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 171246Z JUL 07 FM AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2311 INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L TEL AVIV 002176
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/17/2017
TAGS: PREL PHUM KPAL EG IS
SUBJECT: ISRAELIS APPROVE LIST OF 1,000 PALESTINIANS TO
ENTER GAZA THROUGH KEREM SHALOM
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Gene A. Cretz, Reason 1.4 (b) (d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L TEL AVIV 002176
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/17/2017
TAGS: PREL PHUM KPAL EG IS
SUBJECT: ISRAELIS APPROVE LIST OF 1,000 PALESTINIANS TO
ENTER GAZA THROUGH KEREM SHALOM
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Gene A. Cretz, Reason 1.4 (b) (d)
1. (C) EU Border Assistance Mission Commander Lieutenant
General Pietro Pistolese commented to the Ambassador July 16
that negotiations had broken down between Israel and Egypt
over the return to Gaza of several thousand Palestinians
stranded on the Egyptian side of the Rafah Crossing.
According to Pistolese, after Israel and Egypt agreed last
week that the Palestinians should use the Kerem Shalom
crossing on the Egyptian-Israeli border in order to return to
Gaza, Israel insisted that Egypt provide lists of 500
Palestinians at a time for security vetting. The agreement
reportedly broke down after Israel rejected almost all of the
people on the initial list of 500.
2. (C) PolCouns raised this issue with MOD Arab Affairs
adviser David Hacham later the same day. (Note: Hacham
serves as the day to day liaison between MOD and the
Egyptians regarding Gaza.) Hacham said that Pistolese's
report was inaccurate. According to Hacham, the discussions
with Egypt broke down last week because the Egyptians
reversed their position on the use of Kerem Shalom and
instead recommended that the stranded Palestinians enter Gaza
through Rafah, which the Israelis rejected. Hacham stated
that the Egyptians had then returned to their earlier
position on Kerem Shalom, adding that he had just passed the
Egyptians a list of 1,000 Palestinians (out of about 1,800
names submitted by Egypt) whom Israel had approved to cross
into Gaza through Kerem Shalom. Hacham noted, however, that
Hamas continued to oppose Palestinians entering Gaza through
Kerem Shalom, so he was unsure whether the agreement would be
implemented.
********************************************* ********************
Visit EMBASSY Tel Aviv's Classified Website:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/telaviv
You can also access this site through the State Department's
Classified SIPRNET website.
********************************************* ********************
CRETZ
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/17/2017
TAGS: PREL PHUM KPAL EG IS
SUBJECT: ISRAELIS APPROVE LIST OF 1,000 PALESTINIANS TO
ENTER GAZA THROUGH KEREM SHALOM
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Gene A. Cretz, Reason 1.4 (b) (d)
1. (C) EU Border Assistance Mission Commander Lieutenant
General Pietro Pistolese commented to the Ambassador July 16
that negotiations had broken down between Israel and Egypt
over the return to Gaza of several thousand Palestinians
stranded on the Egyptian side of the Rafah Crossing.
According to Pistolese, after Israel and Egypt agreed last
week that the Palestinians should use the Kerem Shalom
crossing on the Egyptian-Israeli border in order to return to
Gaza, Israel insisted that Egypt provide lists of 500
Palestinians at a time for security vetting. The agreement
reportedly broke down after Israel rejected almost all of the
people on the initial list of 500.
2. (C) PolCouns raised this issue with MOD Arab Affairs
adviser David Hacham later the same day. (Note: Hacham
serves as the day to day liaison between MOD and the
Egyptians regarding Gaza.) Hacham said that Pistolese's
report was inaccurate. According to Hacham, the discussions
with Egypt broke down last week because the Egyptians
reversed their position on the use of Kerem Shalom and
instead recommended that the stranded Palestinians enter Gaza
through Rafah, which the Israelis rejected. Hacham stated
that the Egyptians had then returned to their earlier
position on Kerem Shalom, adding that he had just passed the
Egyptians a list of 1,000 Palestinians (out of about 1,800
names submitted by Egypt) whom Israel had approved to cross
into Gaza through Kerem Shalom. Hacham noted, however, that
Hamas continued to oppose Palestinians entering Gaza through
Kerem Shalom, so he was unsure whether the agreement would be
implemented.
********************************************* ********************
Visit EMBASSY Tel Aviv's Classified Website:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/telaviv
You can also access this site through the State Department's
Classified SIPRNET website.
********************************************* ********************
CRETZ