5 Jan Cairo
S E C R E T CAIRO 000017 
SIPDIS
FOR NEA/ELA AND NEA/IPA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/04/2019
TAGS: KPAL, PGOV, PREL, PHUM, EG, IS 
SUBJECT: EGYPT: GAZA ROUND-UP: JANUARY 5 
REF: A. CAIRO 0007 B. CAIRO 0003 C. CAIRO 0002 
Classified By: Minister Counselor William R. Stewart 
for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)

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Rafah
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1. (S) On January 5, Egyptian military officials briefed
defense attaches on the situation in Gaza. The Egyptian
military reports that the Egyptian-Gaza border remains stable,
with no breaches since December 28. Egyptian border guards
successfully prevented subsequent attempts to breach the
border by a small number of unorganized individuals. Egyptian
forces continue to receive occasional gunfire from the Gaza
side of the border.

2. (S) The Egyptian military estimates that Israeli air
attacks have destroyed 50 percent of the main smuggling
tunnels between Rafah and Gaza. They anticipate that the
Israeli Defense Force will take additional measures to destroy
the tunnels during the ground invasion. The Egyptian military
stressed that the Rafah border would not be permanently opened
until the Palestinian Authority regained control of the border
crossings. They expressed concern that the Israelis were
attempting to sever Gaza from the West Bank, leaving an
independent Gaza as "Egypt,s problem.8

3. (SBU) According to the Egyptian military, 325 tons of
medical aid has been delivered to Gaza since December 28,
including 60 tons donated by the GOE. Assistance is being
delivered through Rafah, Kerem Shalom, and most recently
al-Aouja (Egyptian-Israeli border crossing in Central Sinai)
due to the high volumes of goods. All material is being
thoroughly searched for weapons and ammunition.

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Demonstrations
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4. (SBU) Contacts told us that the police prevented the Muslim
Brotherhood (MB) from holding a large demonstration planned
for Tahrir Square in downtown Cairo on the afternoon of
January 5; however, our contacts said the demonstration will
be held elsewhere in the city either today or tomorrow. The
police allowed the MB to lead a smaller demonstration at the
Press Syndicate, not far from Tahrir Square, where
approximately 400 people demonstrated as of 1430 hrs. local.
Emboff observed a demonstration of about 200 people in front
of the Mogamma (an enormous government building about half a
kilometer from the embassy). The protestors were waving a
Palestinian flag and chanting, "We are with you, Hamas!" There
were at least 1500 police in full riot gear scattered
throughout the public square in front of the Mogamma.

5. (SBU) Contacts told us January 5 that about 17,000
demonstrated in a peaceful protest January in the Delta town
of Tanta. Contacts remarked that police allowed the
demonstrators to protest, and did not attack the crowd. The MB
has claimed that it led demonstrations January 4 of at least
10,000 protestors each in the Delta town of Mansoura and in
Fayoum (about 100 kilometers south of Cairo), and of 25,000
protestors in Alexandria.

SCOBEY