IDF building first Israeli settlements in South Lebanon; IDF reinforces positions in western Bekaa. establishes radar station; Palestinian women arrested in Sidon for...
Arafat leaves Beirut by boat after tumultuous departure, farewells to Lebanese Muslim leaders (accompanied to ship by Wazzan, Salam); Syrian troops leave West Beirut, take...
1,300 Syrian-controlled Palestine Liberation Army (PLA) troops travel to Syria in first overland evacuation (760 PLO guerrillas leave by sea for Tartus); US Marines patrol...
Cease-fire appears to hold, despite minor clashes near airport; WAFA says 5 Israelis tried to move on the airport and failed; IDF jets fly over Beirut in mock raids; PLO...
Read more
Military Action:
IDF building first Israeli settlements in South Lebanon; IDF reinforces positions in western Bekaa. establishes radar station; Palestinian women arrested in Sidon for belonging to armed cells (following an assassination attempt of doctor close to Phalange); IDF harrassing LNM militia with sniper fire; Lebanese Army column enters West Beirut, occupies position behind and to south of IDF positions; PLO Lebanon representative Shafiq al-Hout presides over transfer to Lebanese Army of PLO stores, heavy weaponry; Abu lyad returns to Tripoli three days after evacuation; Major Haddad erects roadblocks north of Tyre as IDF forces sweep through orchards, fields arresting 75.
Political Responses:
lsrael/ Occupied Territories: Israeli Communist Party Rakah strongly criticizes US proposals as hegemonic, aimed at splitting Arab liberation movement; protests against invasion of Lebanon by Democratic Front for Peace and Equality in the Galilee banned by Israeli police; youth killed during demonstrations in Nablus; Israelis split over Reagan proposals (Sharon says Israel won't discuss proposals; Peres says Jordan has agreed to participate in peace process on basis of Reagan proposals).
Palestinians/ Lebanese: PLO Central Committee meets in Tunis to define PLO position before Arab summit and respond to Reagan proposals; Lebanese divided over attitudes toward continued Israeli military presence in Lebanon.
Arab Governments: Assad meets with PLO delegation; Egypt praises positive aspects of proposals following talks with Weinberger.
US and Other Countries: Austrian Chancellor Kreisky calls Sharon, Begin fascists.
Military Action:
Arafat leaves Beirut by boat after tumultuous departure, farewells to Lebanese Muslim leaders (accompanied to ship by Wazzan, Salam); Syrian troops leave West Beirut, take up new positions in Bekaa; Fathi Arafat welcomes 147 wounded in Greece.
Casualties:
Shootings on rise as evacuation nears end; IDF soldier wounded in mine ambush; traffic heavy in and out of West Beirut; IDF considers delaying release of al-Ansar detainees because of guerrilla attacks in Sidon, Tyre; Egged bus line of Israel plans to open line to Tyre, Sidon, Zaharani river.
Political Responses:
Israel/ Occupied Territories: Sharon says occupied territories belong to Israel; Nablus women's associations visit Palestinian and Lebanese wounded in Haifa hospitals; Israeli journalist Uri Avneri interrogated by Israeli police concerning his interview with Arafat (Avneri claims interrogation aimed at silencing opposition to Begin/Sharon policies); IDF soldier Eli Gozansky sentenced to third prison term for refusing to serve in Lebanon (he had previously refused to serve in the occupied territories); 38 percent of Israelis support negotiations with PLO in public poll; pro-Begin group protests war reporting.
Palestinians/ Lebanese: Arafat, before departure, holds press conference at home of Jumblatt (says 5000 killed, 48,000 wounded during invasion; 9,000 arrested, including 106 fighters, among which were wounded soldiers taken from Sidon, Tyre hospitals); 5 Maronites from Kaslik University meet Shamir in Jerusalem, ask US to support Phalange efforts to expel PLO, Syrians; Major Haddad watches evacuation as guest of IDF; PLO officials in Europe release files on Abu Nidal.
Arab Governments: Saudi King Fahd expresses willingness to drop his proposal for Israeli-Arab peace; King Hussein of Jordan visits Saudi Arabia, Iraq as part of Gulf tour; Arab foreign ministers agree on date for Fez summit.
US and Other Countries: State Department denies US proposed to Sharon a "demilitarized Palestinian state" in West Bank/Gaza Strip; Reagan Administration again reflects Israeli assertion that Jordan is a Palestinian state; Weinberger prepares for visit to Lebanon, Israel; poll in UK says majority of Britons support Palestinian rights; Israeli embassy attacked in Tokyo.
Military Action:
1,300 Syrian-controlled Palestine Liberation Army (PLA) troops travel to Syria in first overland evacuation (760 PLO guerrillas leave by sea for Tartus); US Marines patrol port; PLO turns over weaponry to LNM forces in Beirut; Lebanese Army redeployment delayed by continued Muslim opposition to Gemayel.
Casualties:
2 IDF soldiers wounded by stray bullets during evacuation; 1 IDF soldier killed, 5 wounded by land mine explosion under their bus near Tyre; Radio Beirut reports 1 Lebanese soldier, 3 civilians wounded near Green Line.
Political Responses:
Israel/ Occupied Territories: Sharon continues fundraising in US, meets with Weinberger and Shultz (indicates Israeli unwillingness to share military information with US while sanctions imposed); Israeli police violently disperse Palestinian women demonstrating in front of US Consulate in East Jerusalem to protest US involvement in Lebanese war (several arrested, including an Israeli woman journalist); Israeli judge exempts Israeli companies from paying income tax on their operations in the occupied territories.
Palestinians/ Lebanese: Arafat praises PLO resistance; Gemayel, Sarkis praise Arafat agreement on evacuation, discipline of evacuation; West Beirut Muslims continue to refuse cooperation with Gemayel unless he prioritizes Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon, returns to consensual decision-making.
Arab Governments: Foreign Ministers conference begins preparations for September 6 Arab summit; Libya charges Arab summit aims to recognize Israel.
US and Other Countries: US reaffirms commitment to Jordanian sovereignty, security; White House announces Defense Secretary Weinberger to visit Lebanon, Israel, Egypt next week; Senator Percy, in visit to Beirut, meets Habib, Sarkis, Gemayel.
Military Action:
Cease-fire appears to hold, despite minor clashes near airport; WAFA says 5 Israelis tried to move on the airport and failed; IDF jets fly over Beirut in mock raids; PLO commander Salah Taamari reportedly surrenders to IDF in Sidon.
Casualties:
IDF soldier reported wounded in fighting with Syrians along highway.
Political Responses:
Israel/ Occupied Territories: Israelis fear PLO gains from talk delays; Shamir says government will give Habib more time for negotiations, after consultations with Begin and Sharon; Israeli media cites Egyptian pressures, Reagan's letter of last week, and European threats of sanctions as restraining Israeli options; Mapam distributes leaflet questioning whole operation; Begin asks attorney general to investigate if Mapam has committed a crime in circulating the document; Abraham Burg, son of Interior Minister, and two other reserve officers met with Begin recently to urge him to halt the war; British employee at Bir Zeit University asserts she was beaten while in detention, foreign ministry refuses to accept a UK diplomatic protest of the incident; Argov regains consciousness in London hospital; Israeli police detain dozens of students "suspected" of being students at Bir Zeit University; police also arrest 4 staff members of newspaper al-Fajr.
Palestinians/ Lebanese: Issue of where guerrillas can go holds up negotiations; Arafat expects large IDF operation in near future, says guerrillas can withstand long siege; Sarkis reportedly ill; 2 Druze Cabinet Ministers disavow declaration of yesterday; PLO formally asks Syria for haven if agreement is reached; Fuad Shemali, military commander of right-wing Lebanese militia "Guards of the Cedars" announces support for Bashir Gemayel for president of Lebanon.
Arab Governments: Renewed Iran/Iraq hostilities reportedly slows negotiating process; Damascus Radio calls on other Arab countries to ensure PLO does not move from Lebanon to other countries; Egypt calls for Arab summit, urges direct US-PLO negotiations.
US and Other Countries: West German foreign minister visits Egypt, harshly criticizes IDF invasion of Lebanon; US urges Arab countries to help resettle surrounded PLO; Reagan contacts Saudi, Syrian governments regarding haven for PLO; former US official George Ball strongly criticizes Israeli invasion and lack of strong US response; Congressional leaders and foreign policy experts say Israel violated US restrictions on use of cluster bombs but disagree on US response; Mitterrand of France meets PLO leader Kaddoumi.