The IDF fires shells at a group of Palestinians that enters a closed military zone nr. the Gaza-Egypt border, killing 4 Palestinians, arresting 2 (1 of whom later dies in an Israeli hospital);...
After several hours of talks btwn. Arafat, Netanyahu at Erez, the PA, Israel chief negotiators initial a Hebron protocol with attached U.S. "Note for the Record," "Agreed Minute." Letters of...
Land Day, commemorating deaths of 6 Israeli Arabs in 1976 demonstrations against land confiscation, observed throughout Palestinian areas of Israel and in o.t. Israel's 800,000 Palestinian...
IDF bus in Kfar Sil ambushed by Lebanese National Resistance using rocket propelled grenades and machine guns, IDF returns fire into groves alongside road; artillery,...
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The IDF fires shells at a group of Palestinians that enters a closed military zone nr. the Gaza-Egypt border, killing 4 Palestinians, arresting 2 (1 of whom later dies in an Israeli hospital); demolishes a Palestinian home in East Jerusalem; bulldozes several bedouin tents and shacks in Bir Nabala northwest of Jerusalem for construction of the separation wall; raids a PA Health Min. clinic in Bethlehem; fires on residential areas of Khan Yunis; conducts arrest raids in Bayt Rima, Burkin nr. Jenin, Qarawat Bani Zayd. The IDF detains and beats PA presidential candidate Mustafa Barghouthi and his bodyguards at a checkpoint into Jenin, preventing him fr. campaigning in the city; the IDF disputes the account, says Barghouthi refused to show ID, was never hit, was finally allowed to pass when he showed ID. Palestinians fire an antitank rocket into Gaza’s Nisanit settlement, causing no damage or injuries. (AP, PM 12/8; VOI, VOP 12/8 in WNC 12/10; PCHR, WP 12/9; JAZ, VOI, VOP, YA 12/9 in WNC 12/11; NYT 12/10; NYT 12/11; WP 12/12; PR 12/15)
Abbas, Qurai‘ meet with Lebanese pres. Emile Lahoud, PM Omar Karami, parliamentary speaker Nabih Birri in Beirut, marking the 1st visit by the Palestinian leadership to Lebanon since Arafat withdrew to Tunis in 1982. Abbas, Qurai‘ visit Shatila r.c., Sidon, and Rashidiyya r.c. (a Fatah stronghold) where they are greeted by 1,000s of refugees, pledge to uphold the right of return. They do not visit nearby ‘Ayn al-Hilwa r.c. (AFP, WT 12/8; VOP 12/8 in WNC 12/10; AP 12/9; al-Quds, VOP 12/9 in WNC 12/11; NYT 12/13; Daily Star, alNahar, al-Safir 12/13 in WNC 12/16; PR 12/15)
After several hours of talks btwn. Arafat, Netanyahu at Erez, the PA, Israel chief negotiators initial a Hebron protocol with attached U.S. "Note for the Record," "Agreed Minute." Letters of assurance to Arafat, Netanyahu fr. Secy. of State Christopher are also exchanged. (MM 1/14; IDF Radio, RJ 1/14 in WNC 1/15; al-Quds al-Arabi 1/14, AFP, IDF Radio, QY, RE, RJ, RL, YA 1/15 in WNC 1/16; CSM, MM, NYT, WP, WT 1/15; CSM, WJW 1/16; NYT, PR 1/17; WJW 1/23; MEI 1/24)
YESHA settlers' council holds an emergency session to discuss the Hebron protocol, resolve to start treating Netanyahu's government as a political foe. (WP 1/15; WJW 1/16)
IDF begins forced transfer of bedouin fr. their homes nr. Jahalin, West Bank, in preparation for expansion of Ma'ale Adumim settlement. Some 45 bedouin families have lived on the site for 40 yrs. They are being sent to a new site outside of Jerusalem, nr. the municipal garbage dump. They will be given freight containers as alternative housing. (NYT 1/15, WJW 1/16; PR 1/31; LAWE 2/13)
Mtg. of the Jordan Rift Valley Development Comm. opens at the Dead Sea. (JT 1/15 in WNC 1/23)
In s. Lebanon, an SLA mbr. is injured when he sets off a explosive device planted along a road. (RL 1/15 in WNC 1/16)
PC weekly session opens 1 day early. (RMC 7/30, VOP 7/31 in FBIS 7/31; PR 8/2; SA 8/2 in FBIS 8/2; PR 8/9; JP 8/10)
Palestinian prisoner in PA custody, Mahmud Jumayil, is left brain dead, with skull fractures and burn marks, after alleged torture by PA coastal police at Jneid prison nr. Nablus. Another Palestinian jailed with Jumayil is missing. (NYT, WT 7/31; JP 8/1 in FBIS 8/1; CSM, MM, PR 8/2; Houston Chronicle 8/5; PR 8/9; MEI 8/16; WP 8/20)
Acting on information provided by the PSF on Arafat's orders, IDF finds nr. Tel Aviv the remains of a soldier kidnapped, killed 7 yrs. ago by Hamas. (ITV, QY 7/30 in FBIS 7/31; MM, NYT, WP, WT 7/31; QY 7/31 in FBIS 8/1)
In s. Israel, bedouin fr. the Tarabin al-Sana tribe, protesting the confiscation of their land for the expansion of the Jewish town of Omer, attack Israeli police with stones, slingshots, wounding 39 officers. 37 bedouin are arrested. (WT 7/31; PR 8/2)
PC mbr. Zaki is rearrested. (VOP 7/30 in FBIS 7/31; VOP 8/1 in FBIS 8/1) (see 6/25)
In Frankfurt, 2 Palestinian refugees fr. s. Lebanon turn themselves in to German authorities, say they were involved in the Iberia hijacking 7/26, ask for political asylum. (NYT 7/31)
Land Day, commemorating deaths of 6 Israeli Arabs in 1976 demonstrations against land confiscation, observed throughout Palestinian areas of Israel and in o.t. Israel's 800,000 Palestinian citizens observe general strike; observances dedicated to victims of Hebron massacre, 6 Fateh Hawks killed 3/28. Curfew imposed on Nablus, Tulkarm, Ramallah, Hebron, and 9 r.c.s. including Jabaliya. Largest demonstration held in Rahat in the Negev, where 22-yr.-old Bedouin killed by police 2/27. (MM 3/30, 3/31; NYT 3/31)
Jordan's King Hussein receives PLO envoy Hakam Bal'awi, bearing message fr. PLO Chmn. Arafat on coordinating policy on Jerusalem. (MM 3/31)
Jordanian delegate to multilateral talks on water sharing Munther Haddadin rejects Israeli proposals for "new Jordan River," saying "It is purely a unilateral project proposed by a group of academics financed by a German company. Jordan has nothing to do with it." (MM 3/31)(see 3/28)
IAF planes and IDF helicopters attack Hizballah targets in Iqlim al-Tuffah, Lebanon. (MM 3/30)
Military Action:
Shell lands near Jordanian airliner at Beirut airport, fails to explode, Lebanese Army detains neighborhood residents.
Casualties:
UNRWA head says 73 Palestinian families have fled their homes in South Lebanon, says UN knows of 15 cases of murder.
Political Responses:
Israel/ Occupied Territories: Begin rejects settlement freeze, other Jordanian pre-conditions for entering talks; Eliahu Lankin refuses to accept post of Israeli ambassador to Britain; Israeli President Navon reportedly concerned about danger of civil war in Israel; Sharon files request with Treasury for a bureau in Tel Aviv and one in Jerusalem, in his capacity as Minister without Portfolio; IDF reports 5 Bedouin killed, 4 injured when their van hits land mine near kibbutz Zeelim in northwest Negev; Israel reported to have used more than 100 weapons systems in Lebanon that had not previously seen full-scale combat, such as F-15 and F-16 fighters, Sparrow AIM-7F missile; IDF reports recent demolition of four houses in Gaza belonging to Palestinians accused of throwing grenades in Tel Aviv and Gaza; bomb explodes outside mosque in Hebron, injuring two and damaging two cars.
Palestinians/ Lebanese: Lebanese Cabinet meets to discuss Habib proposals, reportedly calling for two security zones in South Lebanon.
Arab Governments: Egyptian Foreign Ministry announces meetings next week with Israel to discuss Sinai border dispute over Taba, normalization of commercial relations.
US and Other Countries: State Department officials reportedly believe Arafat, after PNC, still has running room to continue dialogue with King Hussein; 40-page analysis of Israeli settlement policy, prepared by US Consul General in Jerusalem, recommends blocking each of five stages of settlement process if freeze is to be truly effective.
Military Action:
IDF bus in Kfar Sil ambushed by Lebanese National Resistance using rocket propelled grenades and machine guns, IDF returns fire into groves alongside road; artillery, rocket and hand-to-hand fighting in Tripoli.
Casualties:
21 IDF wounded in ambush, bringing total IDF casualties in 3 weeks to 25 wounded, 6 dead, and since Sept. 1, total IDF casualties are 104 killed, 203 wounded; one attacker killed by IDF; 19 killed in Tripoli fighting.
Political Responses:
Israel/ Occupied Territories: MK Charlie Biton, at lunch hosted by PLO in New York, calls for Palestinian state on the West Bank, urges US to negotiate directly with the PLO, Israel to cut military spending; Bedouin whose herds were seized in December win order nisi from Israeli High Court calling for Defense Ministry, Chief of Staff and Nature Reserves Authority (Green Patrol) to give reason within 10 days why the herds should not be returned; Palestinian union activists, journalists, writers and poets from Nablus, Tulkarm and Hebron arrested and detained by military authorities now number over 300 in Fara'a prison.
Palestinians/ Lebanese: PLO Chairman Arafat in Kuwait calls on Arab states to exert economic pressure on US, then goes to Damascus for celebration of 18th anniversary of Fateh; Lebanese and Palestinian women from Bourj al-Barajneh protest detention of relatives; 3-week training by US Marines of Lebanese Army air assault battalion completed with display of heliborne hit and run attacks; $10 million worth of US military equipment, including 24 APCs, trucks and spare parts, for Lebanese Army arrives at Beirut port.
Arab Governments: Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tarik Aziz says Iraq is encouraging the PLO to negotiate with Jordan, and does not oppose peace negotiations between Israel, the PLO and Arab partners.
US and Other Countries: US expresses official concern to USSR over construction of SA-5 missile sites in Syria, as USSR Ambassador Anatoly Dobrynin is called to the State Department to meet with Undersecretary for Political Affairs Lawrence Eagleburger; Senator Paul Tsongas (D-MA) meets with Begin, then Hussein, tells reporters if Syria is obstacle to peace and troop withdrawal from Lebanon, this obstacle must be removed, and that Begin told him he accepts Hussein in the peace process but will never freeze settlements
