MFA ON TEMPORARY RAFAH OPENING, SOLIMAN VISIT TO

C O N F I D E N T I A L CAIRO 000970 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/12/2018 TAGS: PARM PREL KPAL IS EG SUBJECT: MFA ON TEMPORARY RAFAH OPENING, SOLIMAN VISIT TO ISRAEL REF: A. CAIRO 777 ¶B. CAIRO 861 Classified By: ECPO Mincouns William R. Stewart for Reason 1.4 (b). ¶1. (C) MFA Palestinian Affairs Director Badr Abdelatty confirmed May 12 that, in consultation with Israel, the GOE opened the Rafah border crossing temporarily between May 10-12 to allow several hundred injured and sick Palestinians into Egypt for medical treatment, and to permit Palestinian students to enter Egypt en route to the U.S. and Europe. Through May 12, the GOE is also permitting Palestinians to return to Gaza following their medical treatment in Egypt, and is allowing Palestinians stranded in the Sinai to return to Gaza. He said ISRAEL had promised the GOE it would deliver fuel May 12 for Gaza's power plant. Abdelatty confirmed news reports that EGIS Chief Soliman arrived in Israel May 12 to discuss his proposal for a tahdiya ("calming"). Abdelatty noted the GOE believes Prime Minister Olmert's weakened political position due to his legal troubles will make it more difficult for the GOI to agree to Soliman's proposal. Abdelatty said that during Soliman's Israel visit, the EGIS Chief would focus first on the Gaza cease-fire and then discuss a Rafah crossing arrangement and a prisoner exchange. End summary. ¶2. (C) MFA Palestinian Affairs Director Badr Abdelatty told us May 12 that, in consultation with Israel, Egypt decided to open Rafah on a "temporary basis" from May 10 to May 12 to allow for the movement of Palestinian civilians between Gaza and Egypt. He noted that despite this temporary opening, the border is "still officially closed." Abdelatty reiterated that in opening Rafah temporarily, the GOE is continuing its policy of trying to undermine what it views as Hamas' attempts to use the humanitarian situation in Gaza as a pretext for another border breach (ref A). He divided the Palestinian civilians who have been crossing the border May 10-12 into three categories: 1) injured and sick Gazans seeking medical care in Egypt or returning to Gaza following treatment in Egypt; 2) Gazan students with valid visas transiting Egypt en route to the U.S. and Europe; and 3) Palestinians stranded in the Sinai returning to Gaza. ¶3. (C) Abdelatty confirmed press reports that approximately 550 injured and sick Gazans have entered Egypt for medical care since May 10. He said these are Palestinian civilians wounded in Israeli strikes, as well as Gazans with serious medical conditions, such as cancer. Abdelatty noted that 20 patients would fly from Egypt to Istanbul for treatment, and that the Government of Turkey would pay for their airfare and medical expenses. He said that some of the Palestinians stranded in the Sinai had entered Egypt as early as June 2007 for business or to visit family, and had not been able to return to Gaza until now. ¶4. (C) Abdelatty said ISRAEL had promised the GOE that it would deliver fuel May 12 for Gaza's power plant following a May 11 blackout in Gaza due to lack of fuel. He said Al-Jazeera had broadcast images of patients in Gaza hospitals who were suffering due to the blackout. ¶5. (C) Abdelatty said he hoped that this would be the last time Egypt would need to open the border temporarily if EGIS Chief Soliman would be able to negotiate a border crossing arrangement. He said the MFA is "neither optimistic nor pessimistic" regarding the current Soliman mission to Israel, but expects that the GOI will at least not give Soliman a "clear no" on the "calming" proposal after the GOE worked to secure the agreement of 14 Palestinian factions. Abdelatty noted that the GOE believes Prime Minister Olmert's personal legal troubles have weakened him politically, and will make it more difficult for him to agree to Soliman's "calming" proposal. He also said the GOE sees Defense Minister Barak's ambitions to become Prime Minister as hardening his security views and narrowing his flexibility on the "calming" proposal. Abdelatty said that during Soliman's visit, the EGIS Chief would focus first on the Gaza cease-fire, and then discuss a Rafah crossing arrangement and prisoner exchanges. (Note: the GOE appears to have returned to its original goals for the "calming" proposal to include Rafah and prisoners, as opposed to an earlier MFA statement to us per ref B indicating that these additional elements would be shelved. End note.) SCOBEY