VZCZCXRO3295
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #2039 2741312
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
O 011312Z OCT 07
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9159
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NSC PRIORITY

S E C R E T JERUSALEM 002039 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE, NSC FOR ABRAMS/SINGH/WATERS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/01/2017 
TAGS: KWBG PINS IS PTER
SUBJECT: 80-90 GAZANS, INCLUDING HAMAS OFFICIALS AND OTHER 
MILITANTS, ENTER GAZA FROM EGYPT 
 
 
Classified By: Consul General Jake Walles, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1.  (SBU) 80-90 Palestinians, most members of Hamas, entered 
Gaza from Egypt early September 30, according to contacts in 
the Office of the President and Arabic-language press.  Local 
media, citing witnesses and Hamas officials, report that the 
group included former PA Interior Minister Hani Talib 
al-Qawasmi, Hamas PLC members Mushir al-Masri and Farraj 
Muhammad al-Ghul, senior activists from Palestinian Islamic 
Jihad (PIJ) and the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC), and 
several prominent businessmen and religious leaders.  Local 
press also report that many of these Palestinians have been 
in al-Arish, Egypt since Hamas' violent takeover of Gaza in 
mid-June. 
 
¶2.  (S) Officials in the PA Office of the President 
(Political Advisor Nimr Hammad, Security Secretary Hazem 
Attallah and Deputy Political Advisor Majdi Khaldi) said they 
were surprised and concerned by the GoE decision to allow the 
group's return to Gaza.  They said several of the group are 
Hamas military-wing members who trained in Iran and a number 
of Arab states, including Syria.  They said these 
Palestinians were stranded when the Rafah crossing closed in 
mid-June after heavy Fatah-Hamas violence and the departure 
of EU-BAM monitors.  They added that the PA has no presence 
along the border, which is under Hamas and PRC control. 
WALLES