VZCZCXRO9570
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHTV #1844/01 1701425
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 191425Z JUN 07
FM AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1788
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 0053

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TEL AVIV 001844 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE; NEA/IPA FOR 
WILLIAMS/SHAMPAINE/STEINGER; NSC FOR ABRAMS/WATERS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID ECON KPAL KWBG PGOV PHUM IS
SUBJECT: GOI UPDATE ON CROSSINGS AND FUEL SITUATION IN GAZA 
 
Sensitive but unclassified -- please protect accordingly 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: COGAT confirmed to EconOff on June 19 that 
most of the Gaza border crossings are effectively closed. 
However, the GOI is facilitating import of humanitarian goods 
into Gaza through the Kerem Shalom cargo crossing and working 
on an alternate mechanism at Erez crossing point to assist 
people to exit Gaza on a humanitarian basis.  GOI contacts 
said that they were exploring opening an alternate route for 
passengers to cross Erez and having an independent 
organization -- such as the ICRC -- serve as an 
administrative authority on the Palestinian side.   As for 
commercial goods, GOI contacts reported that there is still 
no Palestinian counterpart at Karni, but that pressure was 
mounting to re-open the cargo terminal -- especially from 
Israeli fruit growers who export to Gaza and are losing money 
as a result of the glut of fruit on the Israeli market due to 
the closure at Karni.  Finally, contacts at the Israeli Fuel 
Authority and at Dor Alon told EconOff that Dor Alon had 
resumed shipments of all petroleum products into Gaza through 
the Nahal Oz crossing June 18.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Lt. Col. Daniel Beaudoin, Deputy of the Foreign 
Relations Branch of the office of the Coordinator of 
Government Affairs in the Territories (COGAT), confirmed to 
EconCouns on June 19 that although most of the border 
crossings are effectively closed, the GOI is facilitating 
import of humanitarian goods into Gaza and working on a 
mechanism to assist people to exit Gaza on a humanitarian 
basis. 
 
--------------------------------------- 
FACILITATING HUMANITARIAN CASES AT EREZ 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Maj. Peter Lerner, Head of International Relations 
at Erez Crossing Point, told EconOff that Erez was briefly 
open on June 18 for pedestrian traffic with special 
coordination, but was closed after a large crowd of 
Palestinians attempting to flee Gaza rushed the crossing. 
Lerner observed that the main Palestinian point of contact 
with whom the GOI normally coordinates movement of people 
through the crossing had "disappeared," leaving the Crossings 
Authority without a Palestinian counterpart.  As a result, 
virtually anyone could queue up at Erez, and approximately 
200 people -- including refugees, people with valid permits, 
and foreign nationals -- were stranded at the crossing, which 
was closed due to the crowding.  The GOI provided food and 
water for those stranded, and has planned a "pilot alternate 
mechanism" to allow humanitarian cases, journalists, and 
foreign nationals -- including U.S. citizens -- through the 
crossing point via a single pedestrian passenger lane.  GOI 
contacts indicated that if the pilot crossing scheme works, 
it might be expanded at a later date.  However, no Israeli 
contact could explain how this alternate lane for egress from 
Gaza would be secured. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Independently, Gen. (ret) Baruch Spiegel of the 
Economic Cooperation Foundation (ECF) told EconCouns that the 
GOI was exploring opening an alternate route for passengers 
to cross Erez and having an independent organization -- such 
as the ICRC -- serve as an administrative authority on the 
Palestinian side.  Spiegel commented that independent 
organizations in Gaza currently do not have sufficient 
personnel or expertise to carry out such a task, but that the 
GOI was formulating a plan of action. 
 
---------------------- 
PRESSURE TO OPEN KARNI 
---------------------- 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Spiegel also said that Abu Nabil, the GOI's 
Palestinian point of contact for Karni, has been trying to 
re-establish his place at Karni.  NGO contacts told us that 
Israeli fruit growers -- especially those in the Galilee who 
export to Gaza -- have been pressuring the GOI to re-open 
Karni because the resulting glut of fruit on the Israeli 
market has caused prices to fall and has cost farmers almost 
USD 5 million in lost profits. 
 
------------ 
KEREM SHALOM 
------------ 
 
¶6.  (U) COGAT contacts confirmed to EconOff that the GOI had 
opened the Kerem Shalom cargo crossing point June 19 for the 
following humanitarian goods to be brought into Gaza: 
 
TEL AVIV 00001844  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
-- ten truckloads of food from the World Food Programme; 
-- one truckload of medical supplies from the World Health 
Organization; 
-- two truckloads of medical supplies from the ICRC. 
 
In addition, UNICEF plans to include 36 boxes of vaccinations 
in another consignment scheduled for June 20. 
 
------------ 
FUEL IMPORTS 
------------ 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Ehud Yichieli of the Israel Fuel Authority told 
EconOff that Dor Alon had resumed shipments of all petroleum 
products into Gaza through the Nahal Oz crossing June 18. 
Dismissing press reports as "exaggeration," he said that the 
gasoline supply was briefly reduced -- at the request of the 
PA -- after it became apparent that Hamas forces had taken 
over Gaza.  Eli Misav, Director of Technology at Dor Alon, 
acknowledged that the company's management was worried that 
it would not receive payment from the Palestinians, but 
emphasized that the company was coordinating with the GOI to 
avoid a humanitarian crisis and to ensure that the population 
in Gaza would continue to receive fuel.  (Note: According to 
NGO sources, new Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad had 
paid Dor Alon in advance in order to ensure that fuel 
shipments to Gaza continued.  End note.)  Yichieli confirmed 
to EconOff that the following was brought into Gaza on June 
18 via Nahal Oz: 
 
-- cooking gas (eight truckloads totaling 200 tons); 
-- benzene (four truckloads totaling 200,000 liters); 
-- diesel for power plant (seven truckloads totaling 300,000 
liters); 
-- diesel (12 truckloads totaling 547,000 liters). 
 
 
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