VZCZCXRO2004
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #1076 1761409
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 241409Z JUN 08
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1892
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/JCS WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NSC PRIORITY

UNCLAS JERUSALEM 001076 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE, NSC FOR ABRAMS/SINGH/PASCUAL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KWBG IS PGOV PTER ASEC
SUBJECT: GAZA CEASEFIRE'S CALM BROKEN BY SHOOTING, 
ROCKET/MORTAR FIRE; KEREM SHALOM, KARNI'S BACK-TO-BACK 
CROSSINGS STILL CLOSED 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Levels of violence in/around the Gaza Strip remain 
low on the fifth day of the ceasefire, but there has been one 
IDF shooting of a Palestinian, three Qassam launches and one 
mortar fired as of 1630 local on June 24.  On June 23, 
Palestinian contacts report the IDF shot and seriously 
injured a 67-year-old Palestinian man on agricultural land in 
northern Gaza.  Security contacts and local press report 
militants fired one mortar near Karni crossing at 0005 on 
June 4, and that three Qassams landed in Israel between 
1500-1600 (two hit Sderot, lightly injuring one Israeli, and 
one landed in an empty area).  Palestinian fisherman report 
the Israeli Navy fired warning shots toward them for 
approaching a unilaterally-set GOI Fishing Limit Line. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Early June 24, a bomb exploded outside the home of 
an al-Nasser Brigades (PRC militant wing) member in Gaza 
City.  An ensuing shootout between clans and with Hamas 
security forces resulted in five Palestinians injured.  Hamas 
spokesman said they are investigating the incidents and have 
made several arrests.  Fatah militants in Gaza City reported 
that Hamas police attacked them on June 23 during a sit-in 
protest against maltreatment of prisoners at the Red Cross 
headquarters, and that six Fatah members were arrested. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Gaza contacts said Sufa crossing was open on June 
24 and an estimated 75 truckloads of commercial and 
humanitarian goods has entered Gaza as of 1600 hours local. 
Contacts noted that several shipments of plywood were allowed 
to pass into Gaza on June 23 for the first time in several 
months.  Karni/al-Mintar commercial crossing,s back-to-back 
transfer area was closed on June 24, but roughly 90 
truckloads of grain and animal feed were shipped into Gaza by 
 conveyer belt there.  Kerem Shalom crossing was closed on 
June 24, as was the Rafah Border Crossing.  Erez crossing was 
open to limited passenger traffic pre-arranged with the GOI. 
(Note:  A very small quantity of approved equipment has been 
allowed out of Erez crossing in the past week.  Bank of 
Palestine General Manager Hashim al-Shawwa told EconOff on 
June 23 that his company successfully shipped its credit card 
manufacturing machine out of Gaza via Erez crossing last 
week.  End note). 
DUFFY