The Palestine Chronology

Military Action:

IDF artillery fired at Syrian positions in Bekaa after Syrian tractor fortifying positions reportedly crosses cease-fire line. 

Casualties:

IDF releases Jibsheet's Sheikh Rageb Harb, whose arrest on March 18 prompted strikes and demonstrations; ICRC tells IDF that Lebanese in Sidon are threatening Palestinian refugees in camps and villages; Austrian special envoy leaves Damascus to report to Chancellor Kreisky on status of negotiations for PLO-Israel prisoner exchange.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: 7 arrested in Sakhnin for offenses during Land Day; doctors from US Center for Disease Control begin study of mass illness; chairman of West Bank Medical Association says ICRC investigator denied making statement attributed to him yesterday by Israeli authorities; schools in Jenin and Hebron districts closed for 1 week; Tulkarm and Nablus under curfew; molotov cocktail thrown at IDF patrol in Jalazon camp; 17 year-old Palestinian dies of head injuries sustained in Jenin on March 27, family says soldier struck him with bottle, IDF says he was injured by stones; IDF arrests two carloads of Palestinians said to be driving through Nablus shouting through megaphones that the water had been poisoned; IDF confiscates film, arrests 2 Israeli employees of CBS news on charges of urging hospitalized girls to act ill, charges later dropped; 2 Israelis assaulted and injured near Damascus Gate; 9 Jews arrested during demonstration outside police station where Kahane's nephew is held; 7 persons arrested in Taiba after two days of demonstrations, stoning of police jeep, in support of West Bank Palestinians.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: Arafat, in Amman, meets with PLO Executive Committee and Hussein; in letter to UN Secretary General, Arafat accuses Israel of poisoning thousands of schoolgirls.

Arab Governments: In Damascus, President Assad meets with George Habash.

UN: Iraq calls for Security Council meeting, accuses Israel of mass poisoning of Palestinian schoolgirls, Israeli delegate rejects charges as irresponsible and unfounded; Security Council requests Secretary General to conduct independent inquiry into reported cases of poisoning.

Military Action:

IDF patrol attacked with bazooka fire east of Beirut.

Casualties:

1 IDF soldier killed, 2 injured, bringing total IDF casualties since PLO evacuation to 126 killed, 212 wounded; special envoy of Austrian Chancellor Kreisky meets PLO officials in Damascus to discuss Israeli-PLO prisoner exchange.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: Ibna' al-Balad (Sons of the Village) activist in Umm al-Fahm placed under 6-month house arrest for fifth time in last 3 years; 250 Druze (about 2%) in Golan Heights have accepted Israeli citizenship; youths in West Bank village of Burka throw stones at police superintendent's car; car of Israeli police chief in Nablus badly damaged by stones; Health Ministry finds no traces of poison at schools, suggests possibility of psychosomatic illness with symptoms of mass hysteria; IDF helicopters fly medical teams to jenin after renewed outbreak of symptoms of illness, hospitalization overnight of further 70-80 cases; AI-Fajr Jenin correspondent arrested.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: Arafat travels to Baghdad, meets with Iraqi foreign minister, other officials; Habib returns to Beirut, meets Gemayel.

Arab Governments: Jordanian foreign minister meets with Farouk Kaddoumi in Amman; Jordan confirms that US has promised it will act to obtain freeze on Israeli settlements and will accept expelled West Bank mayors in joint Jordanian-Palestinian negotiating team if Hussein declares his intention to join peace talks; Saudi foreign minister returns for second meeting with King Hussein.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: Shamir says purpose of surveillance station in South Lebanon is to prevent return of PLO terrorists, if other means are available Israel will study them but so far none have been presented; Sharon at Cabinet meeting says Lebanon must pay a price for having allowed Palestinians to operate at will in previous years, that US must change position on future arrangements and security in Lebanon or Israel will consider other ways of obtaining an agreement with Lebanon, that Saad Haddad must play a role in security along border, and that survelliance stations will be military bases manned by a company each; Begin, Shamir and Sharon meet for 90 min. with Habib who then returns to US; Bethlehem Mayor Freij dismisses Deputy Mayor George Hazboun then leaves for Amman and Cairo for 3 week trip, saying there must be peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians and a halt to West Bank settlements.

Arab Governments: Egyptian Foreign Minister Kamal Hassan Ali meets with Israeli Ambassador Moshe Sasson in Cairo; ministers of Syria, Iran and Libya meet in Damascus, agree to support Lebanon financially and materially to end Israeli occupation.