The Palestine Chronology

Casualties:

Phalange militia releases 200 Druze civilians held hostage during fighting.

Political Responses:

Palestinians/ Lebanese: Jumblatt visist 300-600 Druze and other soldiers reportedly defecting from LAF, says LAF should be united, return to barracks until national reconciliation is achieved; Gemayel accuses Jumblatt of wanting to partition Lebanon; Haddad admitted to Israeli hospital, reportedly suffers from cancer.

Casualties:

300 Christians in Beirut demonstrate at presidential palace against continued siege of Deir al-QRmar by Druze militia.

Political Responses:

Palestinians/ Lebanese: Jumblatt announces formation of civilian administration in Chouf and Aley areas under Druze control.

Military Action:

Fighting continues at Souq al-Gharb, Aley, Beit Eddine and Deir al-Qamar; PSP forces capture Qabr Chamoun junction; shells fall in Khaldeh, Yarze, Baabda and other suburbs, and around airport, near US Marine positions; LAF engages Shi'ite militiamen in Beirut district of Chiah; US Navy warship fires first rounds of 5-inch shells at PSP artillery position near Chemlan, southeast of Beirut, Marines also return fire; US jet overflies village of Deir al-Qamar; IDF patrol crosses Awali River, removes roadblock at village of Amayle.

Casualties:

LAF reports 2 killed, 6 wounded; PSP accuses Phalange militiamen of killing 40 Druze civilians in Abey, near Qabr Chamoun; bomb destroys Islamic lUnification Movement sports club in Tripoli, 5 killed, 25 wounded.

Political Responses:

Palestinians/ Lebanese: McFarlane meets Gemayel, Wazzan in Beirut, Jumblatt in Damascus; Jumblatt says PSP forces will not fire on targets endangering MNF units.

Arab Governments: Saudi Arabia renews its diplomatic efforts toward a ceasefire, sends Prince Bandar Ibn Sultan to Damascus.

US and Other Countries: Rep. Clarence Long (D-MD) says he will seek legislative cut-off of funds for US MNF contingent unless Reagan seeks formal Congressional authorization under 1973 War Powers Act.

Military Accion:

LAF [Lebanese Armed Forces] consolidates positions in West Beirut, arrests numerous militiamen; East Beirut hit by scattered shelling; Reagan orders carrier Eisenhower and 2000-man Marine force to Beirut; heavy fighting in Tripoli.

Casualties:

LAF reports 42 dead, 176 wounded in 4 days of Beirut fighting; no clear estimates of civilian casualties; 24-40 Christians reportedly killed, houses burned, by PSP [Progressive Socialist Party-Druze] militia in Bmariam.

Political Responses:

Palestinians/ Lebanese: Jumblatt says his forces will attack Marines and other MNF units if they do not remain neutral; Amal leader Nabih Berri says Marines have turned into a fighting force against Muslims in Lebanon.

Political Responses:

Palestinians/ Lebanese: Arafat meets Jordanian foreign minister in Tunis; McFarlane, in Paris, holds meetings with Wadi Haddad, National Security Adviser to Gemayel, and with Jumblatt; Jumblatt also meets French Foreign Ministry officials.

Arab Governments: Syria says it will defend its Druze ally in Lebanon if government sends army into Chouf.

US and Other Countries: Reagan says his peace plan is still alive, West Bank settlements are an obstacle to peace, and he remains committed to finding a compassionate, fair and practical resolution of the Palestinian problem.

Casualties:

1 French soldier killed, 8 wounded in accidental explosion of ammunition truck in West Beirut; bomb explodes in Air France's East Beirut office, 3 injured.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: Israel agrees to McFarlane request to delay troop redeployment, set to begin this weekend, for few days, wants all troops out of Chouf by eve of Jewish New Year, September 7.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: P. Gemayel says Lebanese Forces will withdraw from Chouf when Lebanese Army moves in; Jumblatt says full-scale fighting for control of the Chouf is approaching; President Gemayel urges Muslims and Christians to allow Lebanese Army to take control of areas evacuated by IDF, appoints Druze commander for unit.

US and Other Countries: McFarlane leaves Beirut for Rome, says he sees no prospect of MNF moving into Chouf to replace IDF.

Military Action:

Druze forces continue assault on army positions near Kfar Matta and Beirut airport; airport closed for second day.

Casualties:

2 Lebanese soldiers killed, 14 wounded; IDF negotiates release of 3 ministers held by Druze militia at Jumblatt's residence.

Political Responses:

Palestinians/ Lebanese: Druze demands presented in list of 10 points carried to Gemayel by 3 ministers released earlier in day.

Military Action:

Syria fires at unmanned Israeli reconnaissance aircraft, shells IDF positions in Bekaa Valley; IDF patrol attacked in Chouf where cease-fire continues; US State Dept. reports steady infiltration of PLO forces into Lebanon, Pentagon estimates overall PLO strength at 12,000-15,000, Syrian forces at 35,000-40,000, IDF at 15,000; other estimates place number of PLO forces returning to Lebanon at 1500 over past 4 days.

Casualties:

1 IDF soldier wounded in Chouf attack.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: Israeli officials describe withdrawal agreement as tantamount to peace treaty with Lebanon, predict dramatic improvement in US-Israel relations; Jewish Agency reports immigration for first 4 months of 1983 is 4538, 21% higher than same period last year, Latin America is currently largest source; Israeli settler shot and killed while shopping in Gaza's commercial center, curfew imposed; Ramallah military court sentences 5 men aged 17-22 to prison terms of 11-13 years for premeditated murder of Israeli woman killed by stones thrown at vehicle in January; Jerusalem Day celebrated; Housing Ministry announces plan for contiguous Jewish presence in northeast Jerusalem, connecting French Hill and Neve Ya'acov, using land expropriated in 1980 from Shuafat, Beit Hanina and Anata villages, private contractors to be invited to build luxury villas, other housing units; High Court of Justice permits Jewish prayer demonstration near Moghrabi Gate on Temple Mount.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: Lebanese officials meet special envoy Habib; President Gemayel meets Jordanian foreign minister, ambassadors of 5 UN Security Council permanent members; Walid Jumblatt says Lebanese Parliament is illegal because it has not held elections for deputies since 1973; Druze leadership demands constitutional reform in Lebanon as condition for agreement with Maronites to end war in Chouf.

Arab Governments: Syria says any Israeli aggression against Syria, even in Lebanon, would mean unlimited war.

US and Other Countries: Soviet Union says US and Israel are trying to partition Lebanon; Shultz, in Paris, asks Soviet Union to use its influence to obtain Syrian withdrawal; House Foreign Affairs Committee votes 18-5 to increase grant portion of US military aid to Israel to $850m, $300m more than administration request, and to increase economic aid request by $ l00m, all grant; CIA and National Security Agency reportedly received warnings a month in advance that an Iranian-backed group planned to bomb the US Embassy in Beirut.

Military Action:

Lebanese Army halts demonstration after police stoned, tires burned in Bir el-Abd district of Beirut.

Casualties:

2 policemen, 5 demonstrators injured, 20 arrested, in Bir el-Abd.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: Israeli Arab leaders meet in Shefar Am, decide to hold regional Land Day gatherings in Galilee, Triangle and Negev and 2 marches but no general strike; Foreign Press Association sends telegram to Begin and Arens asking for clarification of Israeli newspaper report that military censors regularly tap, garble and interrupt FPA telephone and telex lines; bomb explodes outside Bethlehem police HQ several arrests; Bethlehem office and home of al-Sha'ab newspaper correspondent searched; IDF roadblocks prevent students from getting to Birzeit; 80 schoolchildren in Jenin suffer unexplained illness.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: President Gemayel reportedly tells Habib he will not compromise Lebanon's sovereignty by allowing Israeli troops to patrol and giving Haddad responsibility for security in South; Habib returns to Jerusalem; Druze leader Walid Jumblatt in Moscow for talks with Soviet officials.

Arab Governments: Saudi Foreign Minister in Amman for talks with King Hussein.

Military Action:

IDF vehicle ambushed near Kfar Sil; shelling between Aitat and Souk el-Gharb in morning, sniping during afternoon between Druze and Phalange forces, which IDF makes no attempt to stop; rocket, artillery and rifle exchanges in Tripoli between pro and anti-Syrian forces.

Casualties:

2 IDF wounded in ambush; 30 killed in Tripoli; heavy rains cause flooding in Beirut refugee camps.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: Some Negev Bedouin from Tel Malhata remain past December 31 deadline for evacuation from their land due to proposed new air force base of Nevatim; restriction order on Ibrahim Dakkak, chair of the West Bank Engineer's Association, renewed for third 6 month period; year-old restriction order on Abed Abu Diab of the Jerusalem Electric Company, renewed another year; art exhibit opens in west Jerusalem, featuring prominent Palestinian and progressive Israeli artists.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: 18th anniversary of Fateh celebrated in Algiers; Palestinian women and children place wreaths on graves in cemetery in Beirut and march through camp; Lebanese Army harasses journalists trying to cover march; Walid Jumblatt and Nabih Berri demand disarming of Phalange.

US and Other Countries: Cardinal Terence Cooke celebrates mass with US Marines in Beirut.