This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 TEL AVIV 001273 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/03/2016 
TAGS: ECON PTER KWBG KPAL IS COUNTERTERRORISM ECONOMY AND FINANCE ISRAELI PALESTINIAN AFFAIRS
SUBJECT: GOI COMMITTED TO KEEPING HUMANITARIAN GOODS FLOWING 
 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Richard H. Jones, reasons 1. 4(b) and (d). 
 
 ¶1.  (C) Summary: One week after the reopening of Karni, 
imports into Gaza at the commercial terminal average more 
than 200 truckloads per day.  The overwhelming majority of 
cargo is of humanitarian supplies.  MOD advisor Brigadier 
General (res.) Baruch Spiegel stressed to Econ Chief that the 
GOI is committed to keeping humanitarian goods flowing into 
Gaza and to keeping Karni open and that following some 
initial problems, traffic at Kerem Shalom will be increasing 
soon.  GOI officials are awaiting a decision by the MOD on 
increasing exports at Karni, which could come as early as 
April 3.  Spiegel said that ongoing terrorist threats are 
preventing Karni from operating at full capacity and that 
smuggling at Rafah remains a significant problem.  End 
summary. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) More than a week after Karni was reopened following 
the second long closure of the year, traffic at the 
commercial terminal remains focused primarily on humanitarian 
imports into Gaza.  The number of trucks entering Gaza has 
remained steady, ranging for the most part between 180 and 
220 cargo loads per day.  On March 23, however, a total of 
300 truckloads were able to cross into Gaza.  Clearly a lower 
priority, exports into Israel (chiefly textiles, agricultural 
products, and furniture), did not start again until March 26 
and averaged between 25 to 35 trucks per day. 
 
---------------------------- 
FOCUS - HUMANITARIAN IMPORTS 
---------------------------- 
 
¶3. (S) Brigadier General Baruch Spiegel (ret.) told Econ 
Chief on March 29 that cargo traffic through the Karni 
crossing had reached over 200 truckloads per day as of March 
26 and truckloads entering Gaza through Kerem Shalom had 
reached 20 to 25 per day.  Spiegel reiterated the GOI,s 
commitment to keep humanitarian goods flowing to Gaza and to 
keep Karni open. He noted, however, that Karni is still 
operating at a diminished capacity due to what he said are 
significant terrorist threats.  The sections of Karni that 
are in operation are isolated and guarded by military units. 
Also, a helicopter is on standby near the terminal in case of 
a terrorist attack.  He said that traffic through Kerem 
Shalom was improving after some initial problems and will be 
increasing soon.  Spiegel criticized the Palestinians for not 
resuming talks sponsored by the U.S. Security Coordinator and 
said that no security improvements have been made on the 
Palestinian side of the Karni crossing. 
 
¶4.  (C) Karni Terminal Manager Yoni Dotan told econoff on 
March 30 that the crossing is working on its normal schedule 
of 8:00 AM - 5:30 PM Sunday-Thursday and from 8:00am )2:00pm 
on Fridays.  He said precedence is being given to 
humanitarian supplies to Gaza, consisting primarily of wheat 
flour, cooking oil, and other staples.  Only one or two bays 
are open to exports.  Empty containers are being sent back, 
which should make it easier for World Food Program and other 
donors to &recycle them8 and ship their supplies to Gaza, 
he said.  One OCHA representative said that his organization 
is pleased with the level of imports currently entering at 
Karni, which he estimated are roughly consistent with 
pre-closure levels.  Over 1,650 truckloads of food and 
commercial supplies crossed into Gaza at Karni since it 
reopened on March 20. 
 
¶5.  (C) Dotan said that he continues to have good cooperation 
with his Palestinian counterparts, who are the same people 
that he has always dealt with on the PA side.  He emphasized 
that he has seen no change yet in operations or approach by 
those PA officials.   MOD Lt. Col. Oded Herman confirmed to 
econoff that the relationship with working-level technical 
contacts on Karni remains good. 
 
--------------------------- 
DECISION ON EXPORTS PENDING 
--------------------------- 
 
¶6. (C) Dotan admitted that exports are extremely low, but 
said that he is awaiting a decision by the Minister of 
Defense to raise the volume.  Lt. Col. Herman said that there 
could be a decision on increasing exports by April 3 or 4. 
The OCHA representative said exports in mid-February were 
averaging 80 truckloads per day. 
 
------------ 
RAFAH ISSUES 
------------ 
 
¶7. (S) Regarding the situation at the Rafah terminal, Spiegel 
said that the appearance of widespread smuggling through the 
crossing point is worrying.  He pointed to intelligence 
reports that Palestinians are bringing a wide variety of 
goods such as cigarettes and cosmetics through the terminal 
in excess of customs regulations.  The excess goods are being 
confiscated by Palestinian customs and placed in a warehouse, 
but these same goods disappear from the warehouse at night. 
Spiegel claimed that the EU-BAM knows about the problem but 
is powerless to prevent it.  Part of the problem, according 
to Spiegel, is that Palestinian customs officials were being 
threatened by the smugglers when they return to their homes. 
 
 
--------------------------------- 
KARNI AND KEREM SHALOM STATISTICS 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶8. (U) The following are number of truckloads of imports 
(into Gaza) and exports (into Israel) at Karni crossing and 
imports into Gaza at Kerem Shalom March 20 - 30, according to 
GOI and OCHA sources.  Kerem shalom did not open until March 
¶23. 
 
Date      Karni Imports/Karni Exports   Kerem Shalom 
 
March 30         150/25                  14 
 
March 29         165/20                      12 
 
March 28         closed                  closed 
 
March 27         145/15                      12 
 
March 26             220/24.5                12 
 
March 24             165/0                         5 
 
March 23             300/0                         2 
 
March 22             221/0                      not open 
 
March 21         187/0                    not open 
 
March 20         15/0                 not open 
 
 
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