VZCZCXRO3077
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #1296/01 1731101
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 221101Z JUN 07
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8145
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 001296 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE; NEA/IPA FOR 
WILLIAMS/SHAMPAINE/BELGRADE; PRM FOR PDAS GREENE AND 
PRM/ANE; NSC FOR ABRAMS/WATERS; TREASURY FOR 
SZUBIN/LOEFFLER/NUGENT/HIRSON; BRUSSELS FOR LERNER; PLEASE 
PASS TO USAID FOR KUNDER/MCCLOUD/BORODIN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID ECON EFIN KPAL KWBG PGOV PHUM
SUBJECT: GAZA HOSPITALS STRUGGLE TO SERVE PUBLIC; JORDAN 
DELIVERS FOOD SHIPMENTS 
 
REF: JERUSALEM 1274 
 
¶1.  (SBU)  Summary:  Critical health care assistance is being 
supplied to Gaza hospitals, including a truck load of 
dialysis equipment funded by USAID.  ICRC and other 
international organizations have resumed their work in Gaza. 
Twenty-one truck loads of food aid were shipped into Gaza 
June 21. 
 
Hospital Equipment Needs Spare Parts; 
Al Quds Hospital Not Operational 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  ICRC Chief of Mission Katharina Ritz, who had just 
returned from Gaza June 22, told Econoff June 22 that Gaza 
hospitals' supply of medicine is sufficient for the next 
week.  However, she added that laboratory machines and 
medical equipment have been breaking down recently due to the 
lack of spare parts and maintenance.  Gaza-based WHO National 
Health officer Mahmoud Daher told Econoff June 22 that, due 
to a lack of spare parts normally shipped from Israel, only 
one of the three Computed Tomography (CT) scanners in Gaza is 
operational. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Ritz said, as of June 22, Al Quds hospital remains 
closed.  She said that on June 14-15 most Al Quds patients 
were transferred to Dar al-Shifa Hospital, as Al Quds 
Hospital became a site of intense fighting.  Several patients 
went home for treatment in fear of the Hamas gunmen posted at 
Dar al-Shifa.  Al Quds Hospital's shattered windows, broken 
doors, and blown electrical systems are all being repaired, 
according to Ritz. 
 
ICRC Delivers Team of Surgeons; 
USAID Delivers Dialysis Items 
----------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Ritz said that a four-person ICRC surgical team is 
scheduled to arrive in Gaza June 23 to assist with operations 
in Gaza City's Dar al-Shifa Hospital.  The two orthopedic 
surgeons (one Dutch, the other Italian), the Swiss 
anesthesiologist and the Finnish nurse are scheduled to begin 
work June 24.  ICRC delivered two truckloads of "war-wound" 
kits - containing surgical kits, medical tools, gauze, and 
bandages - through Kerem Shalom June 21, along with a 
shipment of antibiotics through Erez crossing.  ICRC 
purchased 20,000 liters of diesel fuel at Nahal Oz fuel 
transfer station June 21 and delivered them to 17 public 
water pumps and hospital generators throughout Gaza. 
 
 
¶5.  (SBU) WHO's Daher said that five injured Gazans were 
transported by ICRC through Erez to Israeli hospitals June 21 
and two were scheduled for June 22.  In comparison, ICRC had 
transported an average of 20 Gazans per day to Israeli 
hospitals in the months prior to the recent violence, 
according to Daher.  Thirty-five American citizens also 
departed through Erez in a Consulate-organized evacuation on 
June 21 (septel). 
 
¶6.  (SBU) USAID staff reported that a truck load of dialysis 
items are being shipped through Kerem Shalom June 22 under 
AID's Emergency Medical Assistance Program (EMAP).  These 
items will be distributed by NGO CARE international to MOH 
hospitals. 
 
Food Arrives 
------------ 
 
¶7.  (SBU) WFP Spokesperson Kirstie Campbell told Econoff June 
22 that WFP had delivered this week a total of 15 truck loads 
of food through Kerem Shalom crossing to Gaza - seven June 19 
and eight June 20.  WFP plans to ship 10 truck loads of aid 
through Kerem Shalom each work day, beginning June 24, per an 
agreement made this week between PLO Chief Negotiator Sa'eb 
Erekat and COGATT.  Campbell mentioned that the IDF requested 
June 21 that WFP begin shipping its humanitarian aid through 
Sufa crossing, instead of Kerem Shalom.  Campbell did not 
know whey the IDF made this request, but she added that WFP 
is determined at this point to ship through Kerem Shalom. 
Campbell confirmed that the Palestinian Red Crescent Society 
shipped 21 trucks of food aid and soap supplied by Jordan 
 
JERUSALEM 00001296  002 OF 002 
 
 
through Kerem Shalom on June 21. 
 
¶8.  (SBU) UNRWA Gaza Director John Ging told Poloff June 22 
that his organization has two more weeks of food supplies in 
Gaza and added that UNRWA has 104 containers of food and 
other humanitarian supplies at Ashdod port that they would 
like to move to Gaza. 
 
Prices Hold; 
Crossings Information 
--------------------- 
 
¶9.  (SBU) Daher said that Gaza market prices have remained 
the same June 20-22 - flour and sugar prices continue to be 
40 percent higher than normal.  As major food shipments have 
recently arrived, Gazans are somewhat less concerned about 
short-term food supplies.  Dairy items and fruits are in 
limited supply.  Fish is available and priced cheaper than 
normal as no fish has been exported since June 11.  Daher 
said that the continued closure of Karni/al-Mintar crossing 
continues to greatly limit humanitarian aid to Gazans. 
 
¶10.  (SBU) Nahal Oz fuel transfer station is open June 22, 
while Karni/al-Mintar and Sufa are closed.  Kerem Shalom is 
open to humanitarian shipments.  Erez continues to be closed 
to all Palestinians, except to two ICRC-sponsored medical 
cases June 22. 
WALLES