HAMAS CONTINUES TO JAIL SENIOR PA, FATAH OFFICIALS

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 001689 SIPDIS NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE, NSC FOR ABRAMS/SINGH/PASCUAL E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/10/2018 TAGS: KWBG IS PGOV PTER PHUM SUBJECT: HAMAS CONTINUES TO JAIL SENIOR PA, FATAH OFFICIALS WITHOUT LEGAL PROCESS REF: JERUSALEM 1407 Classified By: Consul General Jake Walles, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (SBU) Summary. About 100 Palestinian Authority (PA) and Fatah officials, including the Governors of Gaza and Khan Yunis, remain jailed by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, without a legal basis for their detention or institutional process to review their status. Senior Hamas spokesmen have previously called these arrests a response to "continued political detention of Hamas leaders in the West Bank." End summary. Governors Remain in Indefinite Detention Without Charge -------------- ¶2. (C) Gaza Governor Muhammad al-Qidwa and Khan Yunis Governor Usama Muhammad al-Farra (both appointed by President Abbas as his representatives in Gaza) were arrested by Hamas security officers on August 1 (reftel) and remain jailed without charges or a formal process to review their detention. Al-Qidwa's son (a student in Texas) and office manager in Gaza City both told POLOFF by phone that Hamas security officials have refused to provide a legal basis for the Governor's arrest beyond "illegal activities" or a timeline to review his case. They say al-Qidwa suffers from severe health problems and is not being afforded adequate medical treatment in Hamas custody. ¶3. (SBU) About 90 Fatah activists remain jailed, despite recent releases of several dozen prisoners at the start of Ramadan, according to Gaza Fatah and independent contacts. Senior Hamas spokesmen have called these arrests a response to "continued political detention of Hamas leaders in the West Bank." Hamas Arrests Striking Medical Staff -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Gaza contacts report the arrest of at least five Gaza City doctors and hospital administrators for "subversive activities" September 7-10, including Dr. Juma'a Saqa, medical director of al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. These contacts say Hamas is attempting to break widespread strikes against Hamas authorities by arresting hospital employees without legal cause. WALLES