VZCZCXRO5773
OO RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHPB
DE RUEHJM #1283 0881411
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 291411Z MAR 06
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1254
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/DIA WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEAHLC/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASH DC IMMEDIATE
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS JERUSALEM 001283 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE; NEA/IPA FOR WILLIAMS/GREENE/WAECHTER; 
NEA/RA FOR LAWSON; OES FOR DALEY; NSC FOR ABRAMS, DORAN, 
MUSTAFA; STATE PASS TO USAID/BORODIN; STATE PASS TO USDA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KFLU TBIO SENV ECON EAGR EAID KWBG IS
SUBJECT: AI SITREP MARCH 29: PA COMPLETES CULLING OF ALL 
CONFIRMED AI SITES IN GAZA; NEW ISRAELI OUTBREAKS WEST OF 
JERUSALEM 
 
REF: JERUSALEM 1271 AND PREVIOUS 
 
This is a joint cable from Consulate General Jerusalem and 
Embassy Tel Aviv. 
 
PA completes culling in Tel el-Hawa and Jahr el-Deik 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
¶1.  (SBU) WHO Representative Mahmud Daher told EconOff March 
29 that the PA had completed culling the flock of 23,000 in 
Tel el-Hawa and had buried the carcasses in the former 
Israeli settlement of Netzarim.  Although the neighboring 
areas originally objected to the burial site, the villagers 
eventually agreed to the location of the dump site.  (Note: 
Daher said the MOA, governor and the Palestinian 
Environmental Quality Authority (EQA) had agreed that dump 
sites for the carcasses would be restricted to the site of 
the farm of the infected flock to the extent possible.  End 
Note.)  The flock of 35,000 in Jahr el-Deik, poisoned March 
28, would be buried March 29 on the grounds.  The farmers at 
Jahr el-Deik, like those of Rafah and Tel el-Hawa, were 
promised compensation within ten days by the MOA.  All three 
sites are "theoretically" under quarantine since they have 
not yet been disinfected, Daher said. 
 
Some clarity on PA compensation 
------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Deputy Finance Minister Jihad al-Wazir told 
EconChief March 29 that he had already begun transferring 
compensation to farmers from a NIS 20 million credit line he 
opened with the Bank of Jordan.  He said there was a sliding 
scale of compensation, starting at NIS 70 for a turkey down 
to lesser amounts for a chick.  He commented that all 
chickens in Gaza would be killed, with poultry from 
non-infected flocks frozen and later distributed as food 
assistance to needy families. 
 
Suspected human cases return negative results 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Daher reported that two farm workers from Tel 
el-Hawa, suspected of having contracted AI, were sent to Dar 
el-Shifa hospital for testing.  The laboratory results 
confirmed that both cases were negative.  He added that two 
new samples from poultry in unidentified areas in Gaza were 
sent to the Israeli labs for testing March 29.  (Note:  Daher 
said the MOA had not yet revealed the location of these two 
areas.  End Note.) 
 
New AI outbreaks west of Jerusalem 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU) GOI MOA confirmed a new outbreak of H5N1 March 28 
at Kibbutz Maale Ha'Chamisha, about 7-8 miles west of 
Jerusalem, just north of Abu Ghosh.  MOA teams have begun 
culling the contaminated flock of about 35,000 chicken 
breeders.  MOA is inspecting other sites within 10 
kilometers.  There is another flock of breeders within the 
three km radius, at Kibbutz Zoba, and reportedly two egglayer 
flocks, at Kibbutz Kiryat Anavim and Moshav Beit Nekova.  The 
GOI will continue to adhere to the WHO standards for culling 
and quarantine. 
WALLES