ROCKETS STRIKE ISRAEL AS ISRAEL MAINTAINS GAZA

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 002045

SIPDIS

NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE, NSC FOR ABRAMS/PASCUAL/RAMCHAND

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/14/2018
TAGS: KWBG IS PHUM PTER PREF PREL
SUBJECT: ROCKETS STRIKE ISRAEL AS ISRAEL MAINTAINS GAZA
CROSSINGS CLOSURE

REF: JERUSALEM 2025

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


1. (C) Summary. Gaza militants fired at least 13 rockets
into Israel on November 14, lightly injuring an Israeli in
Sderot and damaging four buildings. An IAF airstrike injured
two PIJ militants near Bayt Lahiya. The GOI has closed all
of Gaza's crossings (most have been closed since November 4)
and Gaza and UN contacts report critical shortages of
electricity, fuels and cooking gas, potable water, and
medicines. UNRWA has halted food distribution due to lack of
supplies and has warned of a looming humanitarian disaster.
End summary.

Barrage of Rockets; GOI
Airstrikes Injure 2 Militants
--------------


2. (C) Gaza contacts told PolOff that Hamas, PIJ, and PRC
militants fired 10 rockets toward Sderot on November 14,
eight of which landed in Israel. Local press report that one
Israeli was injured in Sderot. Press report that five
Grad-type rockets struck the Ashkelon area on November 15,
causing no injuries and light property damage. Palestinian
press report that IAF airstrikes near Bayt Lahiya injured two
PIJ militants, and that IAF fire has targeted Hamas security
buildings.

All Gaza Crossings Closed; Shortages of
Electricity, Fuel, Water, Medicine Acute
--------------


3. (SBU) UN contacts reported November 14 that all Gaza
crossings remain closed, and UNRWA has canceled emergency and
regular food distributions (reftel). (Note: UNRWA
distributes food to 750,000 refugees in Gaza on a rotating
schedule. End Note). Gaza commercial crossings have been
closed since November 4 except for limited industrial diesel
shipments through Nahal Oz fuel transfer station. Supplies
of diesel, gasoline, and cooking gas are at minimal levels
this week, according to Gaza fuel sector contacts. Erez
crossing was also closed November 14, and UNRWA Commissioner
General Karen AbuZayd reports she was prevented from
returning to her home in Gaza. UNRWA, UN OCHA, and ICRC
contacts report increased difficulty for staff crossing Erez,
and increased delays for permits, with the IDF now
questioning whether UN and international organization work in
Gaza is sufficiently "humanitarian" to allow permit issuance.


4. (C) The Gaza power plant shut down on November 13 for the
second time due to a lack of industrial fuel, according to
the plant,s chief engineer. UN OCHA Gaza contacts said
600,000 Gaza residents are experiencing blackouts of 18-20
hours/day since the shutdown. Over the past year, the plant
produced around 65 megawatts (MW) of daily power, while 115
MW continue to be imported from Israel feeder lines and 17 MW
from the Egyptian grid. Gaza Fuel Sector Association
Vice-Chairman Mahmud Khuzander told Econoff November 14 that
100,000-150,000 liters/day of diesel and 40,000-50,000
liters/day of gasoline had been shipped through Rafah-area
tunnels over the last two months, using advanced pumping
systems developed by smugglers, but, since November 9, there
have been no gasoline shipments via the tunnels and limited
diesel shipments due to &issues on the Egyptian side.8
(Note: UNSCO officers also assessed that there have not been
significant fuel shipments since November 9 via tunnels. End
note).


5. (SBU) ICRC reported to PolOff November 14 that there are
critical shortages of medical supplies and drugs in Gaza.
The last delivery was September 2, and supplies of 94 out of
473 essential drugs are depleted. UN contacts said Gaza
hospitals are operating at limited capacity, due to power
black-outs. Since the November 13 shutdown of the power
plant, most hospitals in Gaza City have no electricity 2-6
hours/day and have limited fuel supplies for their
generators.


6. (C) On November 14, UN OCHA briefed donors that there is
little available fuel to operate water pumps. 20 percent of
Gazans receive potable water only every other day and another
30 percent receive potable water only every third day. Gaza
water sector contacts told EconOff November 14 that water and
sewage pumps no longer have fuel and are running on
electricity, limited to a few hours each day. These contacts
said the combination of minimal electricity and fuel has
resulted in raw sewage flowing into the Mediterranean Sea at
an increased rate of 65,000 cubic meters/day. Numerous

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municipal pumps are inoperable for lack of spare parts.

Gaza Banks Short on Funds
--------------


7. (SBU) Commercial and merchant depositors have mostly
stopped deposits, according to Bank of Palestine contacts in
Gaza, due to private sector concerns that bank accounts are
not liquid. Bank of Palestine branches in Gaza purchased USD
500,000 in shekels on the black market on November 12 to
continue paying salaries and maintain operations, and, as of
November 13, the bank had paid out 90 percent of November
salary payments. Other banks have paid November salaries in
full, partly in USD, and now report a complete lack of
shekels.
WALLES