VZCZCXYZ0007
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHJMA #1093 1581329
ZNR UUUUU ZZH ZUI RUEWMCF3759 1581335
O 071329Z JUN 07
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0000
INFO ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NSC

UNCLAS JERUSALEM 001093 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE, NSC FOR ABRAMS/SINGH/WATERS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KWBG KPAL IS PTER
SUBJECT: FATAH-HAMAS GUNBATTLES BREAK OUT IN RAFAH; ONE 
FATAH MEMBER KILLED 
 
¶1.  (SBU) SUMMARY.  IN THE MOST SERIOUS OUTBREAK OF FACTIONAL 
VIOLENCE SINCE MAY 21, ONE FATAH FIGHTER WAS KILLED AND NINE 
OTHER PALESTINIANS WERE INJURED IN RAFAH CLASHES EARLY JUNE 
¶7.  A BRIEF GUNBATTLE BETWEEN PALESTINIAN SECURITY FORCES 
(PASF) AND HAMAS GUNMEN BROKE OUT IN GAZA CITY JUNE 6 AFTER 
NATIONAL SECURITY FORCES (NSF) OFFICERS SAID THEY FOUND 
TUNNELS FOR EXPLOSIVES DUG NEAR THE NSF HEADQUARTERS AND ON 
THE ROUTE BETWEEN EREZ CROSSING AND GAZA CITY.  PALESTINIAN 
MILITANTS FIRED 5 QASSAM ROCKETS AND 13 MORTARS FROM NORTHERN 
GAZA ON JUNE 6, WITH 4 LANDING IN/NEAR SDEROT, BUT NO 
INJURIES OR DAMAGE WAS REPORTED.  END SUMMARY. 
 
RENEWED FACTIONAL CLASHES IN RAFAH AND GAZA CITY 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) HAMAS GUNMEN SHOT AND KILLED 27-YEAR-OLD FATAH 
ACTIVIST FUAD WA'AL WAHBI AND INJURED NINE OTHERS IN AN 
EXCHANGE OF FIRE IN RAFAH EARLY JUNE 7, ACCORDING TO 
PALESTINIAN SECURITY CONTACTS AND ARABIC-LANGUAGE PRESS. 
AFTER FIGHTING IN THE STREET, MASKED HAMAS FIGHTERS HAD 
SURROUNDED FOUR HOUSES WHERE WAHBI AND OTHER FATAH MEMBERS 
HAD TAKEN REFUGE AND ATTACKED THEM WITH AUTOMATIC RIFLE FIRE 
AND EXPLOSIVES.  FATAH MILITANTS RESPONDED BY RAIDING THE 
HOUSE OF A HAMAS MEMBER/ISLAMIC TEACHER ABD AL-KHALIQ YUNIS, 
WHO IS REPORTEDLY IN CRITICAL CONDITION.  SPORADIC SHOOTING 
AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF FIGHTING POSITIONS BY BOTH SIDES IN 
RAFAH CONTINUED AS OF 1200 LOCAL. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) A BRIEF GUNBATTLE BROKE OUT IN GAZA CITY BETWEEN 
HAMAS AND FATAH FIGHTERS AFTER NSF OFFICERS SAID THEY FOUND 
TUNNELS DUG NEAR THE NSF HEADQUARTERS (AL-SARAYA) AND THE 
SALAH AL-DIN CORRIDOR FROM EREZ CROSSING INTO GAZA CITY.  NO 
INJURIES WERE REPORTED IN THIS FIGHTING.  BOTH HAMAS AND NSF 
FIGHTERS WERE REPORTEDLY TAKING UP ROOFTOP FIGHTING POSITIONS 
AS OF 1200 LOCAL.  SEPARATELY, FATAH ACTIVISTS KIDNAPPED TWO 
HAMAS MEMBERS, INCLUDING A BODYGUARD OF PM ISMAYIL HANIYAH, 
IN GAZA CITY JUNE 6 AND BEAT THEM AND SHAVED THEIR 
HAIR/BEARDS BEFORE RELEASING THEM. 
 
ROCKET AND MORTAR FIRE CONTINUES 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU) PALESTINIAN MILITANTS FIRED 5 QASSAM ROCKETS FROM 
NORTHERN GAZA ON JUNE 6.  FOUR LANDED IN/NEAR SDEROT BUT 
CAUSED NO INJURIES OR DAMAGE.  MILITANTS ALSO FIRED 13 
MORTARS TOWARD IDF POSITIONS NEAR THE PERIMETER FENCE AT 
NAHAL OZ AND EREZ ON JUNE 6, BUT CAUSED NO INJURIES OR 
SIGNIFICANT PROPERTY DAMAGE. 
WALLES