PA SECURITY FORCES COMBAT HAMAS IN QALQILYA FOR

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 000893

SIPDIS

NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE AND IPA; NSC FOR SHAPIRO/KUMAR; JOINT
STAFF FOR LTGEN SELVA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/05/2019
TAGS: PGOV PINS PTER MOPS KWBG KPAL IS
SUBJECT: PA SECURITY FORCES COMBAT HAMAS IN QALQILYA FOR
SECOND TIME IN ONE WEEK

REF: A. JERUSALEM 885

B. JERUSALEM 872

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


1. (S) Summary. PA Security Forces (PASF) killed two Hamas
militants and arrested another June 4 in the second violent
confrontation with Hamas in Qalqilya this week. A continuing
Preventive Security Organization (PSO) investigation of the
Hamas cell uncovered a sophisticated and well-armed hiding
place in a Qalqilya building. One PSO officer was killed in
the early stages of the arrest operation (bringing the total
number of PASF casualties in Qalqilya this week to four). PM
Fayyad and PASF contacts noted improved coordination across
security services, with the commanders of the National
Security Forces (NSF),Military Intelligence (MI),and civil
police all on site during the standoff. A joint committee
will interrogate Ala'a Diab, the lone Hamas militant to have
survived the gunbattle. PM Fayyad told the Consul General on
June 4 that the week's events in Qalqilya marked a
significant milestone in the PASF's development. In his
words, "There is no going back." End summary.

Second Qalqilya Incident in Under a Week
--------------


2. (C) PA security forces (PASF) killed two Hamas militants
and arrested another June 4 in the second standoff in
Qalqilya in recent days. Hamas militants Mohammed Atiyeh and
Iyad Abattly were killed and Ala'a Diab was arrested
following a day-long siege by PASF of a building in Qalqilya.
Efforts to have community leaders and family negotiate a
peaceful surrender broke down when one of the gunmen opened
fire in the direction of his own mother, who was calling for
him to surrender. PSO officer Riad Zain al-Din was killed
early in the operation when he discovered the entrance to the
militants' hiding place. Two MI officers were also injured
during the operation.


3. (C) The militants had fabricated a sophisticated and
well-armed hiding place. PASF used a bulldozer to overwhelm
the militants, and found explosives, including at least two
explosive belts, stored in an underground basement/tunnel.
PASF flooded the tunnel with water, fearing explosive booby
traps, and "flushed out" Diab - wounded, but alive. He was
transferred to the custody of a PSO facility near Ramallah
for interrogation.

Better Coordination Among Services
--------------


4. (C) NSF, MI, and police service chiefs were all present
during the standoff. Security contacts told PolSpec on June
4 that they assessed their performance and coordination had
improved substantially compared with a similar operation on
May 31, which resulted in the death of three militants and
three PASF officers (ref B). PM Fayyad confirmed this
assessment to the Consul General later on June 4.

PM Fayyad Resolute, Pleased with PASF Performance
-------------- --------------


5. (S) Fayyad told the Consul General that the week's events
had demonstrated that PASF now had both the ability and the
willingness to confront the toughest security challenges. It
is no longer credible, he said, for the GOI to pretend the
PASF are simply rounding up common criminals and car thieves.
He noted that the entire multi-week operation had been
entirely homegrown, from development of the intelligence to
the confrontations with the militants. He noted that PASF
personnel are now "fighting and dying for a Palestinian
security doctrine." He said, "there is no going back," and
PA forces will continue to defend Palestinian national
interests against "outlawed groups." He asked again for U.S.
support in ending IDF incursions into Area A.

Hamas Turns Up the Rhetorical Heat;
PA Arrests Hamas PLC Member Fanning the Flames
-------------- -


6. (U) Hamas' military wing, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam
Brigades, released a statement declaring PA President Mahmud
Abbas, PM Fayyad, and newly-appointed Minister of Interior
Said Abu Ali "wanted fugitives" for "crimes against
Palestinian resistance." Also named was a local PSO
operations officer in Qalqilya. Hamas urged its militants to
treat PASF no differently than Israeli soldiers. A

JERUSALEM 00000893 002 OF 002


commentary in a Hamas-run paper from Gaza urged Palestinians:
"Do not give in to the occupation or the Abbas-Dayton forces
working this occupation."


7. (C) Separately, Minister of Interior Abu Ali ordered the
arrest of a Hamas legislator, Ayman al-Ramahi, following
press statements where he accused the PA of treason, and
called for demonstrations in light of the incidents in
Qalqilya. PASF contacts told PolSpec they have raised their
alert level across the West Bank and will monitor mosques,
primarily in Qalqilya, Nablus, and Hebron, on June 5.
WALLES