GAZA HUMANITARIAN UPDATE, JANUARY 9, 1700

C O N F I D E N T I A L TEL AVIV 000060 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/09/2019 TAGS: EAID PTER EFIN PREL MOPS PHUM PINS KWBG IS SUBJECT: GAZA HUMANITARIAN UPDATE, JANUARY 9, 1700 REF: TEL AVIV 0058 Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Luis G. Moreno; reasons 1.4 b/d ¶1. (SBU) As of 1700 local, 41 truckloads of food and medical supplies had transited the Kerem Shalom crossing, all of it commercial. Pickup and distribution on the Gaza side is still limited, in part by UNWRA's decision not to ask its contractor to operate until the IDF has a better coordination plan in placed to avoid attacks on its convoys. The same contractor who works for UNWRA also supplies much of the commercial trucking capability in Gaza. Kerem Shalom is likely to be opened on Saturday provided the civilian contractors who operate the crossing (and their union) can be convinced to work on the Sabbath. A humanitarian pause was observed between 12:00 and 3:00 afternoon of January 9. ¶2. (SBU) Erez crossing was closed except to evacuation of urgent medical cases; none were evacuated. Erez will face the same restrictions on January 10. Nahal Oz was closed, but 300,000 liters of diesel remain to be picked up on the Gaza side of the crossing. If it is picked up tomorrow, Nahal Oz will reopen on Sunday, January 11 for fuel shipments. Karni crossing remains closed, with heavy fighting taking place within 300 meters of the crossing, per IDF sources. ¶3. (SBU) The UNWRA stand-down is creating a substantial backlog of deliveries that will need to be dealt with as soon as UNWRA and its contractor are ready to undertake Gaza operations again. Embassy has pressed MFA, COGAT and Joint Coordination Room (JCR) officials to consider opening the Sufa crossing as soon as UNWRA is ready to move goods. While the crossing is rudimentary, it is capable of handling sacks of wheat flour and other palletized goods, adding significantly to the 100 truckloads per day that can get through Kerem Shalom under current operating conditions. JCR has taken the issue on board, but Embassy and USAID will continue to track with COGAT and the Crossings Administration. USAID has also looked at what would need to be done to provide lighting for the Gaza-side staging area at Kerem Shalom. KS must now close a little before sundown in order to give the Palestinian truckers time to reload the goods before they lose daylight. Lighting would permit KS to extend its operating hours. Embassy is pressing the Crossings Administration and COGAT to authorize extended hours at Karem Shalom and to request that USAID have the lighting installed. ¶4. (C) In other news, following the security cabinet meeting on January 9, PM Olmert announced that Operation Cast Lead would continue. Olmert said UNSCR Resolution 1860 does nothing to prevent terrorist attacks from Gaza and emphasized that Israel will not let outside bodies determine its ability to defend its citizens. FM Livni echoed those statements, asserting that "Israel has acted, is acting and will continue to act only according to its calculations, in the interest of the security of its citizens and its right to self defense." There were no reports that the security cabinet made a decision on preceding to phase 3 of the military operation. However, an MOD source told PolOff on January 9 that he believed a decision on Phase 3 would be made no earlier than Sunday, January 11 and no later than Tuesday, January 13, . ¶5. (U) The full text of the Prime Minister's press release is as follows: Begin Text. The State of Israel has never agreed that any outside body would determine its reight to defend the security of its citizens. The IDF will continue operations in order to defend Israeli citizens and will carry out the missions with which it has been assigned in the operation. This morning's rocket fire against residents of the south only proves that the UN Security Council Resloution 1860 is not practical and will not be honored in actual fact by the Palestinian murder organizations. End Text. ********************************************* ******************** Visit Embassy Tel Aviv's Classified Website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/telaviv ********************************************* ******************** CUNNINGHAM