SIX PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY INTELLIGENCE PERSONNEL

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 002098 SIPDIS NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE AND IPA; NSC FOR SHAPIRO/KUMAR; JOINT STAFF FOR LTGEN SELVA E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/23/2019 TAGS: PINS PGOV PTER KWBG IS SUBJECT: SIX PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY INTELLIGENCE PERSONNEL DETAINED, THEN RELEASED BY IDF Classified By: Consul General Daniel Rubinstein for reasons 1.4 (b,d). ¶1. (C) The head of General Intelligence (GI, or Mukhabarat) of the Palestinian Authority, Majid Faraj, confirmed to Post that ISRAEL Defense Forces (IDF) personnel detained the GI chief in the West Bank town of Salfit, Muhamad Abdel Hamid, taking him from his home the morning of November 20. The IDF likewise detained four junior GI personnel -- Bader Sabra, Zaid Ahmad, Abdel Hamid al-Khatib, and Rami Fatter -- at their respective places of residence in Salfit. GI officials reported that IDF personnel had also raided the GI's Salfit offices, detaining one additional GI officer, Ibrahim Abdel Dayem. ¶2. (C) According to Faraj, Israeli authorities told PA security counterparts in a meeting on the evening of November 20 that the six GI officials had been detained following their arrest and interrogation of a Palestinian who, it turned out, is a senior "collaborator" of Israeli security services. Faraj said he assured the Israelis that the GI had no prior knowledge of this individual's relationship with them, having arrested him on suspicion of a link with the military wing of Hamas. ¶3. (C) At approximately 3:30 a.m. local time on November 21, the six GI officials detained by the IDF the day before were released by Israeli authorities. The GI also released the individual identified by Israeli authorities as a cooperative source. According to Faraj, PA and Israeli authorities have agreed to "enhance security coordination" between the GI and the ISRAEL Security Agency (ISA, or Shin Bet),in order to "avoid such confusion in the future." RUBINSTEIN