The Palestine Chronology

Military Action:

Lebanese Army continues searches in West Beirut for arms caches, patrols Kfar Matta and seeks to expand into other areas of Chouf once IDF has withdrawn; assassination attempt against Abu Jihad in eastern Bekaa fails.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: Protests break out in Nablus and Ramallah as students mark 40th day since Beirut massacre, barricades erected, stones thrown at Israeli vehicles, partial commercial and school strike in East Jerusalem; in Nazareth, 2,000 Muslims and Druze attend memorial organized by People's Committee Against the War in Lebanon and People's Committee for Israeli-Palestinian Peace; Israeli government rejects Israeli Palestinians' proposal to finance construction of 500 flats for Palestinian refugees in Lebanon; tourism slump severe since invasion.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: Arafat sends letter to Gemayel saying PLO will not be barrier to withdrawal of all foreign troops from Lebanon; Gemayel briefs cabinet on 5-day tour, says Lebanon will seek partial pullback by foreign troops as opening gesture aimed at total withdrawal; Fady Frem, commander of Phalange militia, says Phalange massacre inquiry results turned over to Lebanese Government investigator Geagea, denies Phalange commanders conferred with IDF on mopping up operations in West Beirut, says Habib Chartouni, a Christian from southeast of Beirut, is being held in conjunction with Bashir Gemayel's death.

Arab Governments: King Hassan, at news conference, says recognition of Israel depends on its withdrawing from all territory occupied since 1967 war; Egypt and Italy issue joint statement saying no peace is possible until Israel withdraws from Lebanon.

Military Action:

IDF in West Beirut coming under sporadic sniper fire, 1 Israeli officer is killed, 2 soldiers wounded; 6 IDF APCs close off street and interrogated suspects; 350 French troops disembark, take positions in port area and near Green Line (French officer asks Israeli unit at port to withdraw); Italian troops return to Cyprus from Beirut to protest IDF presence in Beirut.

Casualties:

Relief workers uncover another mass grave at Shatila containing 19 victims, all from one family, raising ICRC total to 317; Lebanese Prosecutor General Camille Geagea, heading an investigation, says 597 bodies found, 2,000 people still missing; unknown number of Palestinians arrested in Beirut sent to Israeli-run prison; accounts of IDF looting of houses belonging to Palestinians and Lebanese (including Saeb Salam's sister); Red Cross warns of danger of epidemics at Sabra and Shatila.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: Habib meets Begin and Sharon, presses them on IDF withdrawal; head of IDF's Staff and Command College and director of the Israeli government Press Office resign to protest refusal to set up independent inquiry; Haaretz reports US intelligence survey received by Israeli officials estimates those killed in West Beirut alone at 4,000, another 22,500 wounded; head of Israeli Supreme Court refuses government request to undertake investigation; Sharon severely criticized, asked to resign at meeting of top army commanders and Eitan (officers reportedly fear government will blame army for massacre).

Palestinians/ Lebanese: Prime Minister Wazzan submits his resignation, but Gemayel asks him to stay on as caretaker until new Prime Minister appointed; virtually all Muslim leaders but Murabitun greet Gemayel; Lebanese Army prosecutor Jermanos begins investigation into massacre, visits Sabra and Shatila; Fatah's Abu Saleh joins PFLP, PFLP-GC, Saiqa, and PPSF in rejecting the Fez plan's implicit recognition of Israel.

US and Other Countries: US says Britain and Netherlands may contribute to peacekeeping force; Jeane Kirkpatrick says UN should investigate massacre, and US is indirectly responsible; West Germany willing to consider Arafat visit to Bonn.

UN: UN-related International Atomic Energy Agency votes 41-39 to reject Israeli delegation's credentials (US says it will reassess US participation in agency, downgrades participation in meeting to "observer").

Military Action:

IDF bombards PLO positions, residential areas in West Beirut by land, sea, air for 14 hours in fiercest fighting since invasion began; IDF makes only slight gains in advances on PLO positions, refugee camps south of airport and along coastal highway from Ouzai; IDF occupies Beirut airport, approaches edge of Burj al-Barajneh camp; Eitan says operations tightened siege; IDF strikes hit Sabra, Shatila, Burj al-Barajneh, Corniche Mazraa, Museum and Galerie Semaan crossings, Salam's house, Muslim residential areas on east side of West Beirut not previously shelled; 150 IDF bombing runs across Beirut drop an estimated 260 tons of bombs; IDF attempt to land troops along coast repulsed; ninth cease-fire called at 5 PM; PLO shells 10 East Beirut neighborhoods; PLO claims 30 IDF tanks, troop carriers destroyed.

Casualties:

IDF says 9, PLO says 80, Israeli soldiers wounded in fighting; heavy damage to buildings; Lebanese radio station reports 55 neighborhoods hit, most distant from Palestinian camps; all hospitals except one reported hit, as well as ICRC offices; fires burn out of control as smoke blankets city; 15 Lebanese killed, 40 wounded by PLO barrages into Phalangist-held territory; lack of electricity to operate water pumps continues shortage of water (one hour after cease-fire, IDF cuts water again); Lebanese police estimate 200 dead, 400 wounded from IDF bombardment; 50 IDF soldiers serving in Lebanon sentenced for looting since invasion began (in some cases, stole items from prisoners being transported to Israel from Sidon, Tyre); while damage to Palestinian neighborhoods enormous, PLO military losses reported small; reports of IDF use of phosphorus shells in civilian areas growing; parliament building hit; one of West Beirut's two remaining fire stations is destroyed, leaving three trucks to cover 10 square miles and protect a population estimated at 600,000.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: Sharon, in interview with David Brinkley, claims Beirut Airport under IDF control, reaffirms Israel's willingness to allow further time for mediation efforts, claims PLO seeks "immunity among the civilian population"; Israeli official, rejecting US appeals for military restraint, says IDF will respond maximally to PLO cease-fire violations, will not accept "war of attrition"; Cabinet meets, again postpones decision on whether IDF will enter city; Peace Now sends telegram to Begin claiming capture of West Beirut will not serve Israeli interests; Labor leader Danny Rosolio appeals for urgent meeting of Knesset's foreign affairs/defense committee; Shamir arrives in Washington for meeting with Reagan; Cabinet sets up ministerial committee under Mordechai Ben-Porat to work with Lebanese government on finding winter accommodations for thousands of Palestinian refugees left homeless in wake of invasion and to explore resettlement of refugees (must decide on UNRWA request to import tents for refugees); Mapam central committee urges government not to try to occupy West Beirut but to seek diplomatic solution; thousands participate in Rakah-sponsored demonstration against Lebanon war in Nazareth (participants include leaders of local Arab councils).

Palestinians/ Lebanese: Sarkis protests IDF moves when negotiations are moving ahead; Salam calls Habib 10 times trying to arrange cease-fire; Wazzan makes passionate appeal to world leaders to intervene, as sit-in by Lebanese Muslim women continues at American University of Beirut.

US and Other Countries: Reagan stresses need for cease-fire as State Department says fighting undermines chances for peaceful PLO withdrawal from Beirut.

UN: Security Council debates resolution calling for deployment of independent observers to monitor situation around Beirut; Council later unanimously demands immediate cease-fire throughout Lebanon, authorizes Secretary General to deploy military observers to check compliance (Israel reportedly withholding agreement, pending Cabinet decision, to deployment of observers around Beirut).

Military Action:

Over 90 Israeli jets attack and destroy Syrian SAM (surface-to-air missile) batteries in Bekaa valley; 16-22 Syrian MIGs reportedly shot down; Syria reports 19 Israeli jets shot down (air battle took place as Habib was delivering Israeli message in Damascus); Is-raelis capture Damour (say they will return it to Christian residents and help rebuild), establish bridgehead at Khalde, 4 miles south of Beirut; street fighting continues in Sidon as 2 more Israeli armored columns and infantry unit sent to consolidate control; Israeli naval vessels land troops between airport and Beirut, shell PLO-held areas of city; Israeli air-craft drop leaflets urging Beirut residents to stay off streets, mark houses with white cloth; Israeli troops in Golan boosted.

Palestinian resistance continues in Sidon; Israeli column halted near Beiteddine, with heavy losses.

Syria reports village 3 miles west of Damascus bombed (denied by Israelis); Syrians charge Israelis bombed, strafed fleeing civilians along Beirut-Damascus highway; Syria moves 16,000 more troops into Lebanon, beats back Israeli attempts to take highway.

United Nations command protests Israeli use of white phosphorous incendiary artillery in attacks on Tyre; UN food convoys barred from Tyre until June 8.

Lebanese Army gives scant resistance to Israeli advance; Lebanese army barracks in Sidon, Beiteddine and Hammana heavily bombarded by Israelis.

Casualties:

Thousands of Beirut residents flee to Bekaa valley; UN observers say Lebanese and Palestinian refugees urgently need water and food, that 41,000 Tyre residents gathered on beaches were left without food and shelter for 2 days; after Tyre residents allowed to return to homes, about 7,000 from refugee camps remain on beaches; Rashidiyeh refu-gee camp virtually destroyed; International Committee of the Red Cross reports "heavy damage" in Tyre, Sidon and that 1,200 Sidon residents urgently need medical attention. Israel reports 31 dead, 144 wounded.

Political Responses:

Israel/Occupied Territories: Israeli government blames Syria for provoking Israeli raid; still bars foreign journalists from coastal areas of southern Lebanon; Israel warns Jor-dan to stay out of fighting.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: Arafat urgently appeals to Arab countries to end the "massacre of the Palestinian people in Lebanon"; Palestinian group, reportedly followers of anti-PLO leader Abu Nidal, claim role in Argov shooting in statement delivered to Beirut AP office; Lebanese radio says Israel occupies 25 percent of Lebanese territory; Lebanese government meets, debates proposal to send Lebanese Army into West Beirut; Christian and Muslim groups urge support for Sarkis and Franjieh offers to put militia under Sarkis; Gemayel urges national unity government.

Arab Governments: Iraq announces it will withdraw from all Iranian territory in a week, redirect its efforts against Israel; Syria begins pulling troops out of Beirut back into Bekaa; Jordan's Prime Minister announces Jordan will allow transit facilities for any wishing to travel to Lebanon to fight Israel; Syria reportedly prepares to mobilize reserves; Kuwait, UAE and Qatar issue statements denouncing invasion.

US and Other Countries: US vetoes UN reso-lution condemning Israel as "unbalanced"; Reagan announces he will seek $25 m. in emergency aid for Lebanon from Congress; EEC foreign ministers condemn Israeli invasion; USSR plans to send medical supplies to Lebanon in a few days; Canada, France, Netherlands and the UK urge their citizens to leave West Beirut.