The Palestine Chronology

Social/Economic/Political

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Total strike in Gaza protests killing of 4 Palestinians 10/6 [FJ 10/11]. Also in Gaza, youths throw stones at Israeli vehicles, burn tires in roads; 5 Israelis are injured by stones thrown at tourist bus [FBIS 10/9]. Trustees of al-Najah, Birzeit, al-Quds, and Islamic universities meet in Nablus [FJ 10/11]. IDF checkpoint outside al-Birah prevents students from attending classes [FJ 10/11]. Representatives of striking employees from Abu Dis College of Science and Technology meet with administration officials [FJ 10/11]. Al-Dustur reports Higher Education Council has approved establishment of 3 new community colleges on W. Bank: 2 in Hebron and 1 in Bethlehem [FBIS 10/9].

Other Countries: Reagan administration drops plan to sell Saudi Arabia Maverick anti-tank missiles in effort togain congressional support for remainder of arms sale package [NYT 10/9]. Washington Jewish Weekly reports U.S. Sen. Lawton Chiles, chairman of Senate Budget Com., is supporting Israeli request to refinance part of its debt [WJW 10/8].

Military Action

Arab World: Israeli warplanes attack Tyre [FBIS 10/9]. Amal and Palestinians exchange machine gun and rocket fire southeast of Sidon. State of alert is declared for Shatila and Burj al-Barajinah refugee camps in Beirut [FBIS 10/9].

Social/Economic/Political

Occupied Palestine/Israel: P. M. Yitzhak Shamir expresses anger over American Jewish Congress call for international peace conference and "realistic alternative" to military occupation of W. Bank and Gaza Strip [WP 10/7]. Sabah Hindi, whose sister died under mysterious circumstances while in police custody, is arrested and charged with plotting attack against border guards implicated in her death [FJ 10/11].

Other Countries: UNRWA Commissioner Gen. Giorgio Giacomelli calls on Amal to allow relief organization torebuild destroyed refugee camps before winter [FJ 10/11]. Fawwaz Yunis pleads not guilty in U.S. court to charges related to 1985 Beirut hijacking of Jordanianirplane [WP 10/7]. Faruq al-Qaddumi, head of PLO Political Department, meets with UN Sec. Gen. Perez de Cuellar in New York [FBIS 10/9].

Military Action

Occupied Palestine/Israel: In Gaza City, shoot-out between IDF patrol and Palestinians leaves 4 Palestinians, 1 Shin Bet officer dead; Israel alleges Palestinians belonged to Islamic Jihad; 2of the Palestinians killed escaped from Gaza Prison in May. Soldiers seize guns and ammunition found in Palestinians' possession. Police impose curfew [WP 10/8; FJ 10/11].

Arab World: Israeli warplanes conduct "mock raids" over 'Ayn al-Hilwah refugee camp near Sidon [MET 10/17].

Social/Economic/Political

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Kol Ha'Ir reports Herut Central Com. member Moshe Amirav has been holding secret meetings with Faysal Husayni, BZU Professor Sari Nusaybah, and al-Sha'b editor Salah Zuhaykah [FJ 9/27].

Arab World: PLO and Amal representatives announce agreement to end 3-year-long battle. PLO will give up posts near Sidon captured 10 months ago; Amal will halt siege of Palestinian refugee camps in Beirut and S. Lebanon [NYT 9/12; WP 9/13].

Other Countries: Israel confirms former ambassador to U. S. Meir Rosenne will serve as legal counsel to Israeli government in negotiations between U. S. and Israel to resolve Pollard spy case [WP 9/12].

Social/Economic/Political

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Israeli troops use force, tear gas to disperse women's demonstration in Ramallah, impose curfew on town and al-Birah. There are reports of protests in Jalazun, Am'ari, Balatah, and Dahayshah refugee camps [FJ 4/12]. Students hold hunger strike at Bethlehem U. in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners [FJ 4/12]. Hebron's Polytechnic Institute is closed for 8 days after army finds "inciting material" at the school [FJ 4/12]. Student demonstration forces U.S. Consul General Morris Draper to suspend his visit to Birzeit University [FJ 4/12].

Other Countries: In Washington, Jordan's P. M. Zayd Rifa'i urges U.S. Sec. of State Shultz to support King Hussein's plan for international Middle East peace conference. King Hussein also promotes proposal with EEC members during meetings in Brussels [NYT 4/8]. Israeli F. M. Peres joins Palestinian and Soviet representatives at Rome meeting of Socialist International's Middle East Study Group discussion of possibilities for an international Middle East peace conference [WT 4/8]. W. German Chancellor Kohl meets with Israeli Pres. Herzog, expresses W. Germany's commitmento insuring Israel's security [LAT 4/8].

Military Action

Arab World: Syrian forces enter Shatila refugee camp in S. Beirut, ending 5-month Amal militia siege of camp; Ahmad Yamani (Abu Mahir), sec. of Palestine National Salvation Front, meets with other PLO leaders in Sidon to discuss PLO pullout from positions in the area [WP, NYT 4/8]. 

Social/Economic/Political

Other Countries: Washington Post reports Egypt's Pres. Mubarak and Jordan's King Hussein have canceled plans to visit U.S. because of arms sales to Iran [WP 2/24].

Military Action

Arab World: Beirut news sources report Syrian troops, estimated at 7,000, have arrested at least 50 militiamen, shot 12 others since entering the city 2/22 [CSM 2/25]. Syrian forces kill 22 Hizballah fighters, 3Druze in separate incidents. Two "ranking" communists are assassinated in Sidon [LAT 2/25].

Social/Economic/Political

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Over 500 Birzeit University student marchers protest Amal and Syrian actions against Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon and Israeli policies in occupied territories. Students in Ramallah boycott classes, attack Israeli troops with stones. Palestinian artists hold allnight vigil in Jerusalem theater in solidarity with besieged camps in Lebanon [FJ 2/13].

Arab World: Reports indicate Salah Khalaf (Abu lyad) intervened to urge kidnappers holding 4 professors in Beirut not to execute hostages, stressed U.S. would likely retaliate if any of 4 were killed [SG, WT 2/13].

Military Action

Arab World: Joint Syrian-Lebanese patrol kills Hizballah member at Beirut checkpoint. Hizballah responds by capturing 12 Syrian soldiers, 13 Lebanese policemen, burning patrol vehicles [JP 2/13]. Israeli air force jets strike Fateh base at Mieh Mieh refugee camp near Sidon, killing 3, wounding 12 [WT 2/13; BG 2/12]. In Damascus, Syrian troops raid offices of Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, arrest senior official [NYT 2/13].