Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
95JERUSALEM2191
1995-06-30 15:34:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Consulate Jerusalem
Cable title:
IDF KILLS WANTED HAMAS ACTIVIST IN HEBRON
how-toO 301534Z JUN 95 FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8083 INFO AMEMBASSY AMMAN AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV AMEMBASSY CAIRO AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS AMEMBASSY TUNIS
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 002191
E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS: PHUM KISL KWBG IS
SUBJECT: IDF KILLS WANTED HAMAS ACTIVIST IN HEBRON
REF: A.) JERUSALEM 2175; B.) JERUSALEM 1350; C.)
JERUSALEM 1357; D.) JERUSALEM 1855
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 002191
E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS: PHUM KISL KWBG IS
SUBJECT: IDF KILLS WANTED HAMAS ACTIVIST IN HEBRON
REF: A.) JERUSALEM 2175; B.) JERUSALEM 1350; C.)
JERUSALEM 1357; D.) JERUSALEM 1855
1. CONFIDENTIAL - ENTIRE TEXT.
2. SUMMARY. A WANTED HAMAS IZZ ED-DIN AL-QASSAM
CELL MEMBER, TAHIR QAFISHA, WAS AMBUSHED AND SHOT
DEAD BY AN UNDERCOVER UNIT OF THE ISRAELI BORDER
POLICE JUNE 29 AT THE NORTHERN ENTRANCE TO HEBRON.
TWO HOMES IN WHICH QAFISHA ALLEGEDLY HID WERE
DEMOLISHED, AS WELL AS A STABLE AND MORE THAN 100
TREES IN THE AREA (REFTEL A). ISRAELI MILITARY
SOURCES SAID QAFISHA WAS THE LAST KNOWN MEMBER OF A
HEBRON IZZ ED-DIN AL-QASSAM CELL ALLEGEDLY
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MURDER OF AT LEAST SIX ISRAELIS
IN DRIVE-BY SHOOTINGS OVER THE PAST YEAR. THE
DEMOLITIONS HAVE ANGERED HEBRONITES, WHO REMAIN
UNDER CURFEW AS A RESULT OF THE OPERATION. END
SUMMARY.
3. ACCORDING TO PRESS REPORTS, AN UNDERCOVER UNIT
OF THE ISRAELI BORDER POLICE ACTING ON INTELLIGENCE
INFORMATION SURROUNDED A HOUSE AT THE NORTHERN
ENTRANCE OF HEBRON AT 3:30 AM JUNE 29 IN WHICH
WANTED HAMAS ACTIVIST TAHIR QAFISHA WAS REPORTEDLY
HIDING. HEBRONITES SAID AN ISRAELI HELICOPTER
HOVERED OVER THE AREA SHINING A SEARCH LIGHT AS THE
OPERATION WAS CONDUCTED. IDF SOURCES SAID QAFISHA
REFUSED TO SURRENDER. IT IS UNCLEAR WHO FIRED
FIRST, BUT SHOOTING BROKE OUT BETWEEN THE SOLDIERS
AND QAFISHA, WHO SERIOUSLY WOUNDED A SOLDIER IN THE
HEAD BEFORE HE WAS SHOT DEAD AS HE TRIED TO BREAK
THROUGH THE CORDON OF SOLDIERS SURROUNDING HIM.
4. ALTHOUGH THE OPERATION WAS OVER BY 5:30 AM,
ACCORDING TO UNRWA SOURCES, THE SOLDIERS CONTINUED
TO SWEEP THE AREA FOR ADDITIONAL SUSPECTS MANY
HOURS AFTER. PRESS FOOTAGE SHOWED SOLDIERS COMBING
ORCHARDS AND BEATING AN UNARMED MAN AS THEY TOOK
HIM AWAY FOR QUESTIONING. THE TWO HOUSES IN WHICH
QAFISHA REPORTEDLY HID--OWNED BY THE FAMILIES OF
UTHMAN AL-FALAH AND MUHAMMAD DANHASH--WERE HIT WITH
MISSILES AND THEN BULLDOZED. THE FAMILY MEMBERS
WERE REPORTEDLY EVICTED WEARING ONLY THEIR NIGHT
CLOTHES AND WERE FORBIDDEN TO TAKE ANYTHING WITH
THEM. A STABLE FILLED WITH SHEEP BELONGING TO THE
DANHASH FAMILY WAS ALSO HIT WITH MISSILES AND THEN
BULLDOZED, AND A NEARBY GROVE OF ABOUT 100 GRAPE
VINES WERE PLOWED UNDER.
5. ACCORDING TO PRESS, THE HEBRON AREA COMMANDER
SAID DESTROYING THE HOMES AND TREES WAS STANDARD
PRACTICE BECAUSE THE TROOPS SUSPECTED MORE GUNMEN
COULD BE HIDING THERE. THE FALAH AND DANHASH
FAMILIES REJECTED THAT, SAYING THEIR HOMES WERE NOT
HIT WITH MISSILES UNTIL QAFISHA WAS CONFIRMED TO BE
DEAD AND HIS BODY WAS TAKEN AWAY. THEY TOLD ARAB
JOURNALISTS THAT QAFISHA WAS NEVER IN THEIR HOMES
BUT WAS INSTEAD SLEEPING IN THE VINEYARD.
ACCORDING TO UNRWA SOURCES JUNE 30, HEBRON IS STILL
CLOSED AND UNDER CURFEW.
6. IDF SOURCES TOLD THE PRESS THAT QAFISHA WAS THE
LAST KNOWN REMAINING MEMBER OF A HEBRON MAMAS CELL
THAT WAS ALLEGEDLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEATHS OF AT
LEAST SIX ISRAELIS IN DRIVE-BY SHOOTINGS IN HEBRON
OVER THE PAST YEAR AS WELL AS THE WOUNDING OF
SEVERAL SOLDIERS IN SHOOTING ATTACKS ON VEHICLES
AND THE ATTEMPTED KIDNAPPING OF A SETTLER. THE
FOUR OTHER KNOWN CELL MEMBERS WERE TRACKED DOWN AND
KILLED IN TWO SEPARATE OPERATIONS BY UNDERCOVER
ISRAELI SECURITY UNITS OVER THE PAST TWO MONTHS
(REFTELS B, C AND D). ACCORDING TO PRESS, MILITARY
SOURCES ESTIMATE TWO OTHER MAMAS CELLS WITH A TOTAL
OF FIVE MEMBERS ARE STILL AT LARGE IN HEBRON.
7. COMMENT. THE IDF OPERATION, ESPECIALLY THE
DEMOLITION OF TWO HOMES, HAS CREATED ANGER IN
HEBRON WHERE THE POPULATION IS ALREADY CRITICAL OF
THE PEACE PROCESS AND SEES LITTLE CHANCE FOR ANY
IMPROVEMENT IN THEIR SITUATION IN THE NEAR TERM.
ALTHOUGH UNDERCOVER KILLINGS OF THE OTHER MEMBERS
OF THIS CELL DID NOT PROVOKE A RETALIATORY ATTACK
BY MAMAS MEMBERS--PROBABLY AS A RESULT OF HEAVY
PRESSURE FROM THE PA TO STOP ATTACKS AND PUBLIC
AVERSION TO SUCH ATTACKS--ONE CAN NOT RULE OUT A
RETALIATORY ATTACK AGAINST ISRAELIS AT THIS
CRITICAL TIME, ON THE EVE OF WHAT MANY PALESTINIANS
CONSIDER TO BE A DEADLINE, NOT A TARGET DATE, FOR A
REDEPLOYMENT AGREEMENT.
8. COMMENT CONTINUED. ALTHOUGH THE IDF CLAIMED
THAT QAFISHA REFUSED TO SURRENDER--AND HE HAS
CLEARLY ARMED AND APPARENTLY SHOT A
SOLDIER--ISRAELI UNDERCOVER UNITS ON OPERATIONS TO
FIND WANTED MEN HAVE GENERALLY MADE LITTLE ATTEMPT
TO ARREST OR BRING TO TRIAL THEIR TARGETS. THE
FOUR OTHER ALLEGED MEMBERS OF THIS MAMAS CELL, FOR
EXAMPLE, WERE ALL KILLED ON SITE EVEN THOUGH SOME
WERE UNARMED.
ABINGTON
E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS: PHUM KISL KWBG IS
SUBJECT: IDF KILLS WANTED HAMAS ACTIVIST IN HEBRON
REF: A.) JERUSALEM 2175; B.) JERUSALEM 1350; C.)
JERUSALEM 1357; D.) JERUSALEM 1855
1. CONFIDENTIAL - ENTIRE TEXT.
2. SUMMARY. A WANTED HAMAS IZZ ED-DIN AL-QASSAM
CELL MEMBER, TAHIR QAFISHA, WAS AMBUSHED AND SHOT
DEAD BY AN UNDERCOVER UNIT OF THE ISRAELI BORDER
POLICE JUNE 29 AT THE NORTHERN ENTRANCE TO HEBRON.
TWO HOMES IN WHICH QAFISHA ALLEGEDLY HID WERE
DEMOLISHED, AS WELL AS A STABLE AND MORE THAN 100
TREES IN THE AREA (REFTEL A). ISRAELI MILITARY
SOURCES SAID QAFISHA WAS THE LAST KNOWN MEMBER OF A
HEBRON IZZ ED-DIN AL-QASSAM CELL ALLEGEDLY
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MURDER OF AT LEAST SIX ISRAELIS
IN DRIVE-BY SHOOTINGS OVER THE PAST YEAR. THE
DEMOLITIONS HAVE ANGERED HEBRONITES, WHO REMAIN
UNDER CURFEW AS A RESULT OF THE OPERATION. END
SUMMARY.
3. ACCORDING TO PRESS REPORTS, AN UNDERCOVER UNIT
OF THE ISRAELI BORDER POLICE ACTING ON INTELLIGENCE
INFORMATION SURROUNDED A HOUSE AT THE NORTHERN
ENTRANCE OF HEBRON AT 3:30 AM JUNE 29 IN WHICH
WANTED HAMAS ACTIVIST TAHIR QAFISHA WAS REPORTEDLY
HIDING. HEBRONITES SAID AN ISRAELI HELICOPTER
HOVERED OVER THE AREA SHINING A SEARCH LIGHT AS THE
OPERATION WAS CONDUCTED. IDF SOURCES SAID QAFISHA
REFUSED TO SURRENDER. IT IS UNCLEAR WHO FIRED
FIRST, BUT SHOOTING BROKE OUT BETWEEN THE SOLDIERS
AND QAFISHA, WHO SERIOUSLY WOUNDED A SOLDIER IN THE
HEAD BEFORE HE WAS SHOT DEAD AS HE TRIED TO BREAK
THROUGH THE CORDON OF SOLDIERS SURROUNDING HIM.
4. ALTHOUGH THE OPERATION WAS OVER BY 5:30 AM,
ACCORDING TO UNRWA SOURCES, THE SOLDIERS CONTINUED
TO SWEEP THE AREA FOR ADDITIONAL SUSPECTS MANY
HOURS AFTER. PRESS FOOTAGE SHOWED SOLDIERS COMBING
ORCHARDS AND BEATING AN UNARMED MAN AS THEY TOOK
HIM AWAY FOR QUESTIONING. THE TWO HOUSES IN WHICH
QAFISHA REPORTEDLY HID--OWNED BY THE FAMILIES OF
UTHMAN AL-FALAH AND MUHAMMAD DANHASH--WERE HIT WITH
MISSILES AND THEN BULLDOZED. THE FAMILY MEMBERS
WERE REPORTEDLY EVICTED WEARING ONLY THEIR NIGHT
CLOTHES AND WERE FORBIDDEN TO TAKE ANYTHING WITH
THEM. A STABLE FILLED WITH SHEEP BELONGING TO THE
DANHASH FAMILY WAS ALSO HIT WITH MISSILES AND THEN
BULLDOZED, AND A NEARBY GROVE OF ABOUT 100 GRAPE
VINES WERE PLOWED UNDER.
5. ACCORDING TO PRESS, THE HEBRON AREA COMMANDER
SAID DESTROYING THE HOMES AND TREES WAS STANDARD
PRACTICE BECAUSE THE TROOPS SUSPECTED MORE GUNMEN
COULD BE HIDING THERE. THE FALAH AND DANHASH
FAMILIES REJECTED THAT, SAYING THEIR HOMES WERE NOT
HIT WITH MISSILES UNTIL QAFISHA WAS CONFIRMED TO BE
DEAD AND HIS BODY WAS TAKEN AWAY. THEY TOLD ARAB
JOURNALISTS THAT QAFISHA WAS NEVER IN THEIR HOMES
BUT WAS INSTEAD SLEEPING IN THE VINEYARD.
ACCORDING TO UNRWA SOURCES JUNE 30, HEBRON IS STILL
CLOSED AND UNDER CURFEW.
6. IDF SOURCES TOLD THE PRESS THAT QAFISHA WAS THE
LAST KNOWN REMAINING MEMBER OF A HEBRON MAMAS CELL
THAT WAS ALLEGEDLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEATHS OF AT
LEAST SIX ISRAELIS IN DRIVE-BY SHOOTINGS IN HEBRON
OVER THE PAST YEAR AS WELL AS THE WOUNDING OF
SEVERAL SOLDIERS IN SHOOTING ATTACKS ON VEHICLES
AND THE ATTEMPTED KIDNAPPING OF A SETTLER. THE
FOUR OTHER KNOWN CELL MEMBERS WERE TRACKED DOWN AND
KILLED IN TWO SEPARATE OPERATIONS BY UNDERCOVER
ISRAELI SECURITY UNITS OVER THE PAST TWO MONTHS
(REFTELS B, C AND D). ACCORDING TO PRESS, MILITARY
SOURCES ESTIMATE TWO OTHER MAMAS CELLS WITH A TOTAL
OF FIVE MEMBERS ARE STILL AT LARGE IN HEBRON.
7. COMMENT. THE IDF OPERATION, ESPECIALLY THE
DEMOLITION OF TWO HOMES, HAS CREATED ANGER IN
HEBRON WHERE THE POPULATION IS ALREADY CRITICAL OF
THE PEACE PROCESS AND SEES LITTLE CHANCE FOR ANY
IMPROVEMENT IN THEIR SITUATION IN THE NEAR TERM.
ALTHOUGH UNDERCOVER KILLINGS OF THE OTHER MEMBERS
OF THIS CELL DID NOT PROVOKE A RETALIATORY ATTACK
BY MAMAS MEMBERS--PROBABLY AS A RESULT OF HEAVY
PRESSURE FROM THE PA TO STOP ATTACKS AND PUBLIC
AVERSION TO SUCH ATTACKS--ONE CAN NOT RULE OUT A
RETALIATORY ATTACK AGAINST ISRAELIS AT THIS
CRITICAL TIME, ON THE EVE OF WHAT MANY PALESTINIANS
CONSIDER TO BE A DEADLINE, NOT A TARGET DATE, FOR A
REDEPLOYMENT AGREEMENT.
8. COMMENT CONTINUED. ALTHOUGH THE IDF CLAIMED
THAT QAFISHA REFUSED TO SURRENDER--AND HE HAS
CLEARLY ARMED AND APPARENTLY SHOT A
SOLDIER--ISRAELI UNDERCOVER UNITS ON OPERATIONS TO
FIND WANTED MEN HAVE GENERALLY MADE LITTLE ATTEMPT
TO ARREST OR BRING TO TRIAL THEIR TARGETS. THE
FOUR OTHER ALLEGED MEMBERS OF THIS MAMAS CELL, FOR
EXAMPLE, WERE ALL KILLED ON SITE EVEN THOUGH SOME
WERE UNARMED.
ABINGTON