Following fist-fights with UNIFIL troops trying to halt their advance, IDF troops, tanks bulldoze through UNIFIL barriers and move out of "security zone" to attack villages in S. Lebanon suspected...
US Marines begin carrying loaded weapons after intelligence reports warn of attacks; IDF construction of airport near Damour reportedly completed; gunmen wearing uniforms...
Lebanese Army moves into Chouf replacing Israelis; IDF, reluctant to leave, keeps two tanks, squad of soldiers in Kfar Matta; Norwegian UNIFIL units set up post in Haddad...
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Following fist-fights with UNIFIL troops trying to halt their advance, IDF troops, tanks bulldoze through UNIFIL barriers and move out of "security zone" to attack villages in S. Lebanon suspected of sheltering Islamic Resistance Movement bases which have been shelling N. Israel. Villages of Yatar, Kafra are captured. Several more rockets are fired at N. Israel, "security zone" and are answered with heavy IDF, SLA bombardment. Amal, communist party, armed civilians join the battle against Israeli forces. Two Israelis are killed and three wounded; at least 7 Hizballah fighters are killed and 17 wounded. In addition, 3 civilians and 4 Fijian UNIFIL troops are wounded. UN Secy. Gen. Butrus Ghali demands Israeli withdrawal while State Dept. calls on Israel, Syria, Lebanon to "exercise restraint." (Qol Yisra'el 2/20 in FBIS 2/20, FBIS 2/21; IDF Radio, Voice of Lebanon 2/20 in FBIS 2/21; WP 2/21)
PM Shamir wins renomination as head of Likud party. FM David Levy finishes second, Housing Min. Ariel Sharon third. (WP 2/21)
Arab League council begins emergency meeting on Israeli settlements. (MENA 2/20 in FBIS 2/21)
Military Action:
US Marines begin carrying loaded weapons after intelligence reports warn of attacks; IDF construction of airport near Damour reportedly completed; gunmen wearing uniforms of Haddad's force stop Norwegian UNIFIL patrol, wound one, steal rifles and jeep.
Casualties:
Bomb destroys administrative offices of PLO production branch (Samed) in West Beirut.
Political Responses:
Israel/ Occupied Territories: Foreign Minister Shamir calls Reagan statement on F-16s regrettable, says US knew Israel entered Lebanon not to capture or occupy territory but to disperse and destroy PLO; Jerusalem Post public opinion survey on Kahan Commission, conducted among Israeli Jews, shows that 51.7% think conclusions too harsh, 31.4% just, 2.7% too lenient; Village League leader in Farhah, north of Jerusalem, found dead of bullet and stab wounds, the third Village League leader killed in 18 months; Israeliled local councils in Golan raise taxes by 200% following request from Interior Ministry.
Palestinians/ Lebanese: Foreign Minister Salem says progress made in joint talks, other officials say gap has narrowed over extent of Israeli military involvement in South Lebanon after troop withdrawal.
US and Other Countries: US officials acknowledge there is no legal prohibition on transfer of F-16s (worth $2.7b and not due for delivery to Israel until 1985), as stated yesterday by Reagan, but approval of transfer now would violate spirit of the law and will be withheld until Israeli forces leave Lebanon; Senate sources make public text of July 15 State Dept. letter informing Congress that Israel's invasion of Lebanon may have involved substantial violations of Arms Export Control Act, which prohibits use of US supplied arms for offensive purposes; Secretary of State Shultz and senior State Dept. officials meet Habib to discuss US position on current status of Lebanon negotiations; State Dept. study shows Israel was most consistent backer of US in UN, voting 86.2% with US, UK second at 80.1 %; 8 prominent Soviet Jews issue statement critical of international Zionism for purporting to speak on behalf of Soviet Jews, call for formation of anti-Zionist committee of the Soviet public, State Dept. calls announcement anti-Semitic diatribe; South African Jews, numbering 120,000, make highest per capita contributions to Israel, second in total amount to US Jews, have emigration rate to Israel 5 times higher per capita than US Jews.
Military Action:
Lebanese Army moves into Chouf replacing Israelis; IDF, reluctant to leave, keeps two tanks, squad of soldiers in Kfar Matta; Norwegian UNIFIL units set up post in Haddad militia's area of operation, prompting exchange of gunfire; IDF attacked by bazooka and light weapons east of Doha and at IDF roadblock near Sil, south of Beirut; Syrian radio reports IDF reinforcing armor units in Bekaa, a few miles south of Beirut-Damascus highway.
Casualties:
One IDF soldier wounded by bazooka fire east of Doha; 300 West Beirut residents spontaneously protest rumor of Lebanese Army withdrawal from their neighborhood.
Political Responses:
Israel/ Occupied Territories: Israeli Foreign Minister Shamir returns from 3-week visit to US; Israeli Ambassador Moshe Arens says US approved Israeli weapons, spare parts sales to Iran in attempt to make contacts in Iranian military that could be used to bring down Khomeini government; Israel reportedly agrees to provide arms and counter-insurgency training to Costa Rica; former Mossad head Meir Amit says net results of invasion are negative ("We've encouraged anti-Semitism,... highlighted the Palestinian problem instead of solving it" and by hitting PLO too hard, increased Arab solidarity); IDF mental health unit report indicates high mental illness rate among Israelis fighting in Lebanon (23 percent of total Israeli wounded are suffering psychiatric injuries, double "normal" wartime rate; 78 percent of 600 affected men are reservists).
Palestinians/ Lebanese: Gemayel returns home, calling trip a success (government announces US has agreed to equip 7,500 of 28,000-man Lebanese Army, France has pledged $86 million in military equipment); Salam, in interview, accuses Sharon of arming Phalange and Druze to promote sectarian tension in Lebanon.
Arab Governments: Arab League delegation headed by Moroccan King Hassan (with Foreign Ministers of Morocco, Syria, Algeria, Jordan, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia) meets with Reagan for 3 hours and later with State Department, stresses only PLO agreement will enable Jordan to play negotiating role for West Bank; US officials refuse to meet with PLO representative Khalid al-Hassan who is accompanying Arab League delegation.
US and Other Countries: Reagan urges Arab League delegation to begin direct negotiation with Israel to achieve Palestinian rights; Shultz tells delegation simultaneous Israeli-PLO recognition" moot as Israel totally rejects idea; Hassan's use of word "coexistence" seen by US officials as implying Arab recognition of Israel; Jewish medical team, back in Britain after visiting 4 refugee camps. in Lebanon, says Palestinians want to be more self-reliant but Israelis are preventing them from rebuilding homes, reorganizing health services.
UN: Britain blocks move to bar Israel from UN-sponsored International Telecommunications Union at Nairobi meeting; Arab states at UN agree to postpone efforts to expel Israel from General Assembly.
