The Palestine Chronology

FMs of Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and the PLO end 6 days of meetings in Damascus, agree to resume talks 4/27, a 1-week delay (see 4/17). Haydar 'Abd al-Shafis "surprised" by the PLO decision to resume. (SARR 4/21 in FBIS 4/21; JTV 4/21 in FBIS 4/22; MM 4/21; NYT, WP 4/22)

Israel announces it has "no plans" to deport Palestinians, while reserving the right to do so, allows East Jerusalemite Faisal Husseini to head Palestinian delegation. (NYT, WP 4/22)

Palestinian Peoples' Party mbr. and delegate Ghassan al-Khatib announces he and fellow PPP mbr. Samir Abdallah will boycott the next round of talks. (RMC 4/21 in FBIS 4/22; WT 4/22)

At news conf., Secy. of State Christopher calls Palestinian decision to resume talks "courageous"; through negotiations, Palestinians 'can see occupation give way to selfgovernment." (MM, NYT, WP 4/22)

Fateh issues warning against attacks on Palestinian negotiators. (Jordan Times 4/24 in FBIS 4/26)

Hamas spokesman Ibrahim Ghawshah rules out violence against Palestinian negotiators, calls resumption of talks a "cheap sellout," the PLO's "biggest historic mistake" which will have to be corrected because of popular opposition; because of its stand, Hamas is gaining popularity in o.t. (MM 4/21; Jordan Times 4/24 in FBIS 4/26)

IDF shoots 2 Palestinians dead, wounds over 50 in Gaza Strip in worst clashes since o.t. were sealed 3/31. (MM 4/21; WP 4/22; Qol Yisra'el 4/21, 4/22 in FBIS 4/22)

Arab Monetary Fund reports Arab states lost $676 billion during Gulf crisis and war. (MM 4/21)

U.S. State Dept. sends letter to Intl. Steering Comm. on Freedom of Trade with Israel stating that Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have pledged to lift their boycott of companies doing business with Israel. (MM 4/30; WT 5/5)

IDF rains over 100 shells on villages north of "security zone" as resistance fighters launch over 50 rockets into northern Israel from Lebanon. (MM 4/21, 4/22; Qol Yisra'el 4/21, 4/22 in FBIS 4/22)

Pres. Mubarak meets with PM Rabin in Ismayliyya, Egypt. In news conf., Rabin says Palestinians have already decided to resume talks, conflict will ultimately be settled through land for peace. (MM 4/14; ARER, MENA 4/14 in FBIS 4/15; NYT, WT 4/15)

Head of Palestinian negotiating team Haydar 'Abd al-Shafi leads Palestinian delegation in meetings with State Dept. officials in Washington. (RJN 4/15 in FBIS 4/15; WP 4/17)

Jerusalem Post reports concessions worked out between Israel and U.S., to be announced if Palestinians agree to resume talks: (1) over 101 12/17/92 deportees returned immediately; (2) up to 100 (of 1,200) post-1967 deportees allowed to return; (3) Israeli statement against deportations except in "extraordinary" cases; (4) Faisal Husseini to head Palestinian delegation; (5) liberalize o.t. financial/building restrictions (see 2/24, 3/3, 3/26). (MM 4/14)

IDF opens fire in crowded Nablus market, wounding 4. Target was 3 masked men reading statement on 5th anniv. of Israeli assassination of Khalil al-Wazir (Abu Jihad). (IDF Radio 4/14 in FBIS 4/15; WT 4/15)

Fateh gunmen assassinate FRC official and 6-month-old son in Sidon, Lebanon. (RMC, VOL 4/15 in FBIS 4/15)

Pres. Mubarak meets with, receives list of demands from Chmn. Arafat, Faisal Husseini in Cairo. Meeting with PM Rabin 4/14, Mubarak hopes to shore up gaps between Israel and Palestinians as 4/20 date for talks nears. (NYT 4/14, 4/15)

Hizballah roadside bomb kills 3 IDF soldiers on northern edge of "security zone"-heaviest IDF casualties in Lebanon since 10/25/92. Israel unleashes up to 200 shells on villages north of zone. (VOL 4/13 in FBIS 4/13; IDF Radio 4/13 in FBIS 4/14; MM 4/13, 4/14)

Israeli cabinet endorses PM Rabin's 3/30 decision to seal o.t. indefinitely and sharply reduce number of Palestinian workers in Israel, deciding weekly how many to admit (7,000 "essential" permits approved today). Training programs are approved to replace 20,000 Palestinians with Israelis. (Qol Yisra'el 4/11 in FBIS 4/12; WP 4/12; MM 4/13)

Israel approves 1993 o.t. development budget of NIS 450m ($164m), nearly 4 times the 1992 budget. NIS 140m will be spent immediately, with new work starting 4/18. CIVAD demands yearly increase of NIS 300m. (Al Hamishmar 4/13 in FBIS 4/13; JP 4/24)

Deportees spokesman 'Abd al-'Aziz al-Rantisi calls Faisal Husseini an "outright traitor" for his 4/10 statement on deportees issue. (WT 4/12)

Davar reports EC has approved Israel's "observer" status. (FBIS 4/13)

Faisal Husseini says immediate return of all deportees is no longer a condition for Palestinian participation in next round of talks. (AFP 4/11 in FBIS 4/12; NYT, WT 4/12)

At U.S. urging, FM Peres says Israel will allow East Jerusalemite Faisal Husseini to become head of Palestinian delegation. (Davar 4/7 in FBIS 4/7; NYT 4/8; WP 4/10

Meeting with EC delegation in Jerusalem, Faisal Husseini says Israel has created a new obstacle to resuming talks by turning the o.t. into a "massive collective prison" (sealed 3/31). EC reps. then meet with Israeli officials. (ITV 4/1 in FBIS 4/2; NYT 4/2)

Responding to an agricul. min. request, IDF orders 1,500 soldiers to work on farms hit hard by lack of Palestinian workers from o.t. (MM 4/2)

IDF gunboats, helicopters attack PFLP-GC, Islamic Jihad bases in Nahr al-Bared refugee camp, Tripoli, Lebanon, wounding 3. Palestinians repel Israeli troop landing at the coastal bases with heavy gunfire. Bomb inside "security zone" kills 2 SLA soldiers; Israel shells targets north. Fateh blames Israel for assassination of its top security official in Beirut. (AFP, RFL 4/1 in FBIS 4/1; IDF Radio 4/1 in FBIS 4/2; Algiers VOP 4/3 in FBIS 4/7; MM 4/1)

Four Palestinian suspected Abu Nidal mbrs. living in the U.S. are indicted on charges of conspiracy to smuggle money and weapons, and plan attacks on Jews and the Israeli embassy. (MM, NYT 4/2)