VZCZCXRO0620
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #0030/01 0051428
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 051428Z JAN 07
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6256
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA PRIORITY 0034
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NSC PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 000030 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE, NSC FOR ABRAMS/DORAN/WATERS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL KWBG PTER IS KPAL
SUBJECT: FACTIONAL VIOLENCE AGAIN FLARES IN GAZA AS ABBAS 
AND HANIYAH MEET 
 
REF: JERUSALEM 5060 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary.  After nearly a week of relative calm, 
Fatah-Hamas violence surged January 1-4.  Hamas military wing 
gunmen killed two Preventive Security Organization (PSO) 
officers (including the PSO's Inspector General for Gaza), a 
Fatah official and two bodyguards on January 4, while one 
Hamas militant was killed.  Another five Palestinians, 
including three PSO members, were shot and killed in clashes 
January 3.  President Mahmud Abbas (Abu Mazen) met with PM 
Ismayil Haniyah late January 4, with both agreeing to pull 
all gunmen off Gaza's streets and end factional violence. 
January 5 was largely quiet through 1600 local, although 
Fatah and Hamas traded public recriminations throughout the 
day.  End summary. 
 
Gaza Factional Violence Flares; 
Seven Killed in Gaza January 4 
------------------------------ 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Early January 4, PSO member Ayman Bahbuh was shot 
and killed in an exchange of fire with Hamas gunmen.  On the 
same day, Hamas militants attacked PSO Col. Muhammad 
Ghrayib's house in Jabaliya with an RPG and assault rifles, 
killing Col. Ghrayib, senior Fatah official Hasan Abu Khalil, 
and two bodyguards, and seriously injuring Ghrayib's wife and 
three other bodyguards.  One Hamas militant, Ayman Subuh, was 
also shot and killed.  After the January 3 attack on his 
convoy, in which Hamas gunmen destroyed his vehicle with an 
RPG and kidnapped two of his bodyguards, Ghrayib had appeared 
on Palestinian television calling on Palestinians to protect 
him and security leaders against "Hamas killers."  Hamas 
military wing gunmen subsequently fired on a violent Fatah 
demonstration against the killings in Jabaliya, killing 
another Fatah member, Shadi Abu 'Asar.  Hamas and al-Aqsa 
Brigades militants also kidnapped several of the other 
faction's members January 4.  Fatah sources also reported 
that Hamas militants raided former Prisoners' Affairs 
Minister Sufian Abu Zaydah's home January 4, firing off an 
explosive device during the attack. 
 
Abbas and Haniyah Appeal for Calm; 
Atmosphere Still Tense 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (SBU) President Abbas met with PM Haniyah late January 4, 
with both agreeing to pull all Fatah and Hamas gunmen off 
Gaza's streets and end all intra-Palestinian violence, 
according to Palestinian newspapers.  Arabic-language media 
quoted Haniyah as insisting that "these clashes must stop, 
this bloodshed must end.  Let all of you love one another and 
resolve differences through dialogue not weapons.  Weapons 
must only be directed against the Israeli occupation."  Press 
accounts also indicated that they agreed to the principle of 
a national-unity government (NUG), but did not advance new 
ideas on NUG formation during the meeting.  January 5 was 
largely quiet through 1600 local, although Fatah and Hamas 
traded public recriminations throughout the day.  Fatah is 
demanding that those responsible for the January 4 killings 
of PSO and Fatah be brought to justice, while Hamas claims 
that Fatah militants burned and looted 3 Islamic organization 
buildings near Ramallah, and fired at Hamas-affiliated 
institutions in Tulkarm on January 4. 
 
Three Palestinians Shot Near 
Perimeter Fence; 2 Qassams 
---------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU) IDF gunfire injured three Palestinians near Bayt 
Lahiya January 4, when the men (whom Palestinian sources say 
were not armed) approached Gaza's perimeter fence.  PIJ 
militants in Bayt Hanun fired two rockets toward Sderot, 
neither of which caused injuries or damage. 
 
January 3: 4 Killed in Firefights 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (SBU) According to PA security forces, 3 PSO members were 
shot and killed in firefights with Hamas military wing 
members in Khan Yunis January 3.  In Bayt Lahiya, an unknown 
sniper shot and killed Fatah member Ala'a Muhammad 'Inaya 
while he was standing on the roof of a house.  Hamas-Fatah 
clashes in Jabaliya claimed the life of a female bystander, 
Muna Salha, and injured 3 other bystanders.  One of Interior 
Minister Sa'id Siyam's bodyguards, Samir Khayl, was killed in 
Gaza City on January 3 by an explosive device he was 
handling, according to Palestinian security sources.  In the 
 
JERUSALEM 00000030  002 OF 002 
 
 
West Bank, al-Aqsa gunmen kidnapped Deputy Health Minister 
(Hamas) Bashar al-Karni from his home in Ramallah on January 
3, and released him January 4, according to Palestinian 
security sources. 
 
 
Peruvian Journalist Abducted 
---------------------------- 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Unknown militants abducted Peruvian journalist 
Jaime Razuri (Agence France-Presse) France) on January 1, 
prompting President Abbas to order PA security forces to 
search for him.  Al-Aqsa and Hamas released their prisoners 
in PIJ-brokered exchange late January 2, but Razuri has not 
been released. 
 
WALLES