VZCZCXRO4932
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHTV #0080/01 0121801
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 121801Z JAN 09
FM AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9984
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 7948

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TEL AVIV 000080 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID PTER EFIN PREL MOPS PHUM PINS KWBG IS
SUBJECT: GAZA HUMANITARIAN UPDATE, JANUARY 12, 1700 HRS 
LOCAL 
 
REF: TEL AVIV 0060 
 
¶1. (SBU) As of 17:00 local on January 12, 97 truckloads of 
humanitarian goods had transited Kerem Shalom crossing (63 
truckloads of food, 1 of medical equipment, and 33 of other 
goods).  An additional 27 truckloads of grain passed through 
the Karni crossing, which was open this afternoon; Karni is 
expected to continue to operate regularly, now that the IDF 
is in control of the nearby Gaza City suburbs.  The Nahal Oz 
fuel terminal was closed today due to security issues near 
the crossing, but fuel could not have been transferred in any 
case, because 300,000 liters of diesel and 200 tons of 
cooking gas are waiting to be picked up on the Gazan size of 
the crossing.  If the fuel is picked up tomorrow, more should 
be able to be transferred.  However, the IDF and EU 
coordinated the movement of five truckloads of industrial 
diesel from the crossing to the Gaza power plant.  Starting 
tomorrow, the GOI hopes to be able to allow 25 truckloads 
daily through Erez.  If all goes as planned, the GOI expects 
190 truckloads of goods to transit into Gaza (105 through 
Kerem Shalom, 60 through Karni, and 25 through Erez). 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  The Ambassador met with Joint Coordination Room 
(JRC) chief Baruch Spiegel, accompanied by DCM, USAID 
Director and EmbOffs.  The Ambassador said Israel understands 
how important it is to make this humanitarian effort work, 
and asked that the GOI let us know what we can do to help. 
The USAID Director made a strong pitch to raise Gaza 
crossings capacity to 200 truckloads per day.  Spiegel said 
he was willing to support that effort and suggested 
consulting with local experts on how best to proceed. 
Spiegel noted that the GOI is looking at increasing Erez 
capacity for trucks beyond the current 25 truckloads per day. 
 USAID Director reminded Spiegel that a plan for this 
expansion was completed two years ago, and would cost an 
estimated USD 2 million.  Spiegel said the Ministry of 
Defense would find the money; the problem would be finding 
adequate staffing for the project, which could take one to 
two months. 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  The IDF humanitarian pause took place between 
10:00 and 13:00 today, although fourteen rockets continued to 
be fired from the Strip into Israel during the pause, 
according to COGAT staff. Over the course of the day, a total 
of twenty rockets were fired on Israel fro the Gaza Strip. 
One was a direct hit on a house in Ashkelon; all the 
residents were in the basement. 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  Electricity and infrastructure.  64 percent of 
Gaza is being supplied with electricity.  A few power lines 
from Israel and one from Egypt are still in need of repair. 
Water is beginning to flow again, although two large pipes 
from the main water treatment plant remain in need of repair, 
but should be repaired shortly.  Seven tankers of fuel were 
picked up by the water company and hospital yesterday to run 
these facilities.  Telephone fiber optics cables have been 
repaired and are lines are operating. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Sewage.  Repairs to Bayt Lahiya are still pending. 
3000 liters of diesel are required to run the pump to move 
sewage from the main reservoir to smaller reservoirs to 
prevent overflow.  The Palestinian repair teams insist on an 
ICRC escort for the fuel (the IDF offered to accompany the 
necessary fuel shipment, but the offer was refused).  The 
ICRC was not able to meet its commitment to escort the fuel 
trucks today, because other priorities had precedence.  The 
IDF damaged infrastructure to a sewage facility at Sheikh 
Adjlin and is exploring options to repair this facility 
itself (this is an area of heavy IDF activity), unless the 
Palestinians do not agree to allow the IDF to go in to 
conduct a needs assessment in which case the IDF will 
coordinate with an international organization to escort a 
Palestinian team to the site to assess and make repairs.  MFA 
has asked the Embassy to weigh in with the ICRC on the sewage 
repair issues; we are following up on this request. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Cash.  UNRWA, WFP and ICRC requests for cash 
transfers have been approved by the GOI, but the 
on-the-ground logistics for these transfers are still being 
discussed and coordinated. (NOTE: Apparently there was a 
misunderstanding regarding whether the PMA or UNRWA would 
handle cash transport for the $20 million request, each party 
believing the other was responsible.  END NOTE).  Further, 
Palestinian banks are refusing to process cash shipments 
because their insurance policies are void during a time of 
war; they are seeking backing from the PA.  Consequently, no 
cash went into the Gaza Strip today via the crossings from 
Israel. All banks in Gaza remain closed due to ongoing 
 
TEL AVIV 00000080  002 OF 002 
 
 
military operations in population and commercial centers in 
Gaza; no date has been set for bank reopenings. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Field hospital under consideration.  Gen, Spiegel 
told the Ambassador that the IDF is considering setting up a 
field hospital to treat Palestinians, or to devise a 
mechanism to treat wounded Palestinians in Israeli hospitals. 
 However, the MFA noted to EconOff, humanitarian 
organizations on the ground in Gaza have told the GOI that 
these facilities are unnecessary. 
 
¶8.  (SBU)  Evacuations.  Erez was officially open for urgent 
humanitarian cases today to travel to East Jerusalem or West 
Bank hospitals, but no one was evacuated because no lists of 
injured were provided.  The evacuation of a corpse of a 
Ukrainian citizen was approved, but could not occur because 
the body could not be removed from the rubble without 
additional heavy equipment.  Wednesday's planned evacuation 
of about 800 foreigners (including about 100 AmCits) and 
through Erez, coordinated by the USG, is being postponed due 
to the January 13-14 visit to Gaza and Israel of ICRC 
President Kellenberger.  UN Secretary General Bam Ki Moon is 
expected Thursday, January 15. 
 
¶9. (SBU) Coordination with UNRWA.  The IDF's most recent list 
of UN facilities in Gaza listed only some twenty properties, 
while the UN claimed a far greater number.  In response to 
the GOI request, UNRWA provided a list of 91 UN buildings and 
shelters, which the MFA has forwarded to the IDF. 
 
¶10.  (SBU) Another "Free Gaza" movement boat, the Spirit of 
Humanity, set sail from Cypress en route to Gaza today, with 
six doctors, seventeen journalists and three European 
parliamentarians on board. 
 
 
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CUNNINGHAM