HAMAS RAIDS CENTRAL ELECTIONS OFFICE IN GAZA, TWICE

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 001613

SIPDIS

NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE; NSC FOR ABRAMS/SINGH/PASCUAL

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/28/2018
TAGS: PGOV PTER KDEM KWBG IS
SUBJECT: HAMAS RAIDS CENTRAL ELECTIONS OFFICE IN GAZA, TWICE

REF: JERUSALEM 699

Classified By: Consul General Jake Walles for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary. Hamas Executive Force twice raided the
Central Elections Commission's (CEC) Gaza branch August
26-28, removing three staff members for off-site
interrogation, confiscating the cellular phone of one staff
member, and seizing keys to the CEC's Gaza warehouse to
conduct an "inventory." Elections contacts familiar with the
raids said Hamas may have misinterpreted a routine records
disposal as preparation for elections. End Summary.


2. (C) CEC Chief Electoral Officer Hisham Kuhail told POLOFF
on August 28 that Hamas Executive Force officers entered
CEC's Gaza office on August 25 and again on August 27,
seeking information about CEC's activities. Both Kuhail and
International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) Country
Director Vladimir Pran attributed Hamas' interest to the
"routine" destruction of old voter registration applications
at all CEC offices. Pran said the destruction, by burning,
apparently drew the attention of Hamas officials. The
destroyed forms were carbon copies of several-year-old voter
registration applications, the originals of which are
archived in Ramallah.


3. (C) Kuhail said Hamas forces "went in quietly and left
quietly." During the first visit on August 25, Hamas took
three staff members off-site for questioning and seized the
cellular phone of another staff member, telling him to appear
for questioning on August 31. On August 27, Hamas officials
seized keys to the CEC warehouse in Gaza, and told staff they
intended to inventory the contents. Kuhail said no sensitive
materials are stored in the warehouse, but expressed concern
that Hamas may confiscate the five CEC vans parked at the
warehouse. Hamas told CEC they would return the warehouse
keys o/a August 29. Hamas returned the cellular phone
previously seized and informed the staff member that he is
not required to appear for further questioning.


4. (C) IFES' Pran told POLOFF August 26 that he believed CEC
"got itself on Hamas' radar" by sending five Gaza staff
members to attend a IFES technical training course in the
West Bank in May. (Note: IFES is a USAID-funded organization
providing technical assistance to the CEC. End note.) In
April, Hamas issued a statement prohibiting CEC from
operating in Gaza, saying "elections are an affair which
requires political agreement and harmony" (reftel). Pran
said Hamas likely misinterpreted the routine activities as
preparation for an election and dispatched officials to
investigate.

WALLES