CORRECTED: GAZA SITUATION REPORT, JANUARY 09, 1230

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 TEL AVIV 000058

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/09/2019
TAGS: PTER EAID EFIN PREL MOPS PHUM PINS KWBG IS
SUBJECT: CORRECTED: GAZA SITUATION REPORT, JANUARY 09, 1230

REF: A. TEL AVIV 53

B. TEL AVIV 44

Classified By: DCM Luis G. Moreno. Reason 1.4 (B/D)

This cable corrects the subject line of ref A to reflect the
correct date.


1. (S) SUMMARY: As of 1215 local, the security cabinet is
meeting following a three hour meeting of PM Olmert, FM
Livni, and DM Barak in which they were to discuss how to
respond to the UNSCR resolution for a ceasefire and whether
to recommend beginning phase 3 of Operation Cast Lead, which
would entail a massive ground operation into urban areas.
According to some local press reports, Barak favors ending
the operation as soon as there is an agreement, Livni
believes the deterrence has been reached and the operation
can end now, while Olmert is pressing to go forward.
Meanwhile, the IDF appears to be advancing plans for a ground
operation along the Philadelphi corridor following
assessments that the aerial bombardment has not been
effective enough. The IDF believes it must move quickly
against the tunnels because it has little faith that the
pending ceasefire will adequately address smuggling. The
border with Lebanon remains calm, with the IDF assessing it
was a Palestinian terror group, not Hizballah, that launched
the rockets. However, The IDF did threaten a more forceful
reaction against Lebanon if UNIFIL proves ineffective and
rockets continue. On the humanitarian side, COGAT has
confirmed that there will be another pause between 1300-1600
local today. However, delivery of aid is threatened as
UNRWA, the primary transportation provider for aid, has
stopped all movements within Gaza for the next two days in
response to the attacks on their convoys yesterday.

Military Operations
--------------


2. (S) The IDF is assessing the effectiveness of its air
operations to close the tunnels along the Rafah border, but
preliminary assessments seem to indicate it has not been
effective enough and a ground operation may be necessary.
Leaflets dropped by IDF telling residents along the Rafah
border telling people to evacuate their homes also suggest an
imminent ground operation into the Philadelphi corridor.
Furthermore, overnight DAO observed heightened preparations
for a ground operation in southern Gaza. Bombardment of the
Philadelphi corridor also continued, with 20-30 strikes of
2000 pound bombs. In the northern Gaza strip, DAO observed
continued concentration of forces and reservist activity,
with the deployment of one reservist combat brigade in
vicinity of Northern Gaza.


3. (U) IDF reports that over night the Israel Air Force
targeted 25 sites last night and killed 3 PIJ rocket team
leaders. Other targets included 9 weapons storehouses,
mostly under the homes of Hamas activists, 4 rocket launching
sites, a vehicle carrying a rocket launcher, 2 Hamas
outposts, and tunnels along the Gaza strip. The IDF also
claims it has taken hundreds of Hamas prisoners during the
operation. A total of 3 IDF soldiers were killed overnight
(1 in combat, 1 by sniper fire, 1 by anti-tank rocket),
bringing the total to 10 during Operation Cast Lead. A total
of 19 soldiers were wounded yesterday, 2 seriously, bringing
the total wounded to 148.


4. (U) The IDF says there were 17 strikes into Israel
overnight and this morning, including 6 Grad, 9 Qassam and 4
mortars, with both Be'er Sheva and Ashkelon targeted by the
Grads. There were no reports of any injuries.


5. (SBU) The border with Lebanon remains calm following the
three rockets fired yesterday afternoon. The IDF released a
public summary of the rocket firings yesterday, saying that
it believes Palestinian terrorist were responsible. It
called for increased UNIFIL patrols and said that while
Israel does not want an escalation, it is "prepared to
respond if necessary." The report also emphasized that
Israel holds the Government of Lebanon responsible for the
activities in its territory. Separately, the MFA released a
statement saying it will register a formal protest with the
UN over this serious violation of UNSCR 1701.

Political Developments
--------------


6. (U) The "kitchen cabinet" of PM Olmert, FM Livni and MD
Barak met this morning ahead of a security cabinet meeting
that began just after 1200 local. The discussions were
reportedly focused around Israel's reaction to last night's

TEL AVIV 00000058 002 OF 003


UNSCR and whether to authorize phase 3 of Operation Cast
Lead. Phase 3 reportedly would involve a massive call up of
reserves, incursion into the densest urban areas, and several
more weeks of activity. According to some local press
reports, Barak favors withdrawing once an agreement is
reached, Livni believes deterrence has been accomplished and
Operation Cast Lead can end, while Olmert believes the
operation has not accomplished its objectives and should
continue. Additional press stories focus on the restlessness
of ground commanders in Gaza who continue to hold their
positions, saying that they are nearing their third day in
the same location and are therefore becoming increasingly
vulnerable to attacks from Hamas.


7. (U) Media reports indicate MG Amos Gilad returned from
Egypt last night after gaining little in discussions over the
Egyptian-French ceasefire proposal. The reports say Hamas
representatives from Damascus turned down the ceasefire
proposal because it did not include opening the crossings,
and Egypt continued to refuse an international border force
within its territory. The press also focused on increasing
efforts by President Peres to get involved in brokering a
ceasefire.


Humanitarian Situation
--------------


8. (U) According to the COGAT, 89 trucks with humanitarian
goods entered Gaza strip yesterday, 68 through Kerem Shalom
and 21 through Erez. In addition, 315,000 liters of
industrial fuel reportedly entered at the Nahal Oz crossing,
along with 143 tons of cooking gas. A total of 223 foreign
nationals were also evacuated through Erez yesterday.


9. (U) UNRWA has suspended all movements to pick up and
distribute humanitarian goods for January 9 and 10. USAID
and other donors rely exclusively on UNRWA to transport
relief supplies into Gaza. Since December 27, USAID has
procured supplies worth approximately USD15,000 for the
Patient's Friends Benevolent Society, which have been
delivered by UNRWA. An additional USD285,000 of goods has
been procured and are awaiting delivery at the UNRWA
Jerusalem-based warehouse. USAID plans to increase
procurement of goods six-fold over the coming days.


10. (U) The Embassy and USAID are continuing to pressure
COGAT and Joint Coordination Room (JCR) commander Baruch
Spiegel to increase access for humanitarian aid and provide
faster approvals for goods to be brought into the strip,
including an outstanding request for medical equipment for Al
Ahli hospital. Embassy, ConGen and USAID are also working
with the GOI and ICRC on the evacuation of an additional 138
Amcits and non-Amcit family members from the Gaza Strip, and
we are coordinating the temporary evacuation (to the West
Bank) of 49 Palestinian employees and program partners in
Gaza.

Livni Briefs Dip Corps and IO
--------------


11. (C) Late Thursday evening (January 8),Foreign Minister
Livni, JCR Baruch Spiegel and COGAT representatives briefed
the diplomatic and international organization community on
humanitarian relief coordination efforts. The briefing was
overshadowed by three separate incidents yesterday in which
ICRC and UNWRA convoys were fired on. An ICRC ambulance
convoy took small arms fire on the outskirts of Khan Younis
while in direct phone contact with IDF/COGAT coordinators. An
UNWRA ambulance and field car took small arms fire on
Salaheddin Street in Gaza City (IDF claims it had no one in
the area). Finally, an UNWRA relief supply convoy from the
Erez crossing was mistakenly hit by gunfire from an IDF tank
despite coordination efforts.


12. (SBU) FM Livni opened the briefing by stressing four
points:

-- Israel entered Gaza to change the equation of
indiscriminate Hamas firing on Israeli citizens.

-- Hamas has taken the citizens of Gaza hostage, which is why
Israel is doing its best to ensure delivery of humanitarian
assistance and to avoid civilian casualties.

-- Israel will not make any agreement with terror; the
international community should not equate Israel and Hamas
nor should it force recognition of Hamas as a legitimate
government.


TEL AVIV 00000058 003 OF 003


-- Hamas cannot be allowed to rearm; the whole international
community, not just Egypt and Israel, needs to act to
interdict arms supply shipments into the Sinai.

Investigations into Humanitarian Convoy Attacks
-------------- --


13. (SBU) JCR Commander Spiegel then made a presentation on
the JCR's organization and mission, noting that 25
humanitarian liaison officers had been assigned, covering all
the field commanders operating in Gaza. He promised a full,
rapid investigation of the attacks on the ICRC and UNWRA
convoys and on the IDF's four-day delay in permitting the
ICRC access to dead and wounded in the Gaza City suburbs.
(Comment: MOD PolMil chief Amos Gilad will be meeting with
UNSCO, UNWRA and ICRC officials at 3:00 PM on Friday to
present them with the preliminary results of those
investigations. End Comment). EconCouns pressed JCR staff
after the briefing on the need for as full an accounting as
possible of the recent attacks on ICRC and UNWRA convoys and
realistic assurances of actions taken to avoid a repeat.


14. (C) MFA DDG Irit Ben-Abba (protect) told EconCouns on
January 9 that the IDF confirms it was an Israeli tank that
mistakenly opened fire on the UNRWA truck approaching Erez
yesterday (Note: IDF has not publicly confirmed this. End
Note). She said that there were no IDF troops operating in
the vicinity of the UNRWA staff/ambulance convoy that was hit
near Gaza City, although she could not dismiss that it was
Special Forces, as witnesses say they saw soldiers. Finally,
she said that she did not know how the ICRC convoy was hit
outside Khan Younis while it was on the phone with COGAT, but
the investigation is on-going.

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