The Palestine Chronology

Military Action:

Israeli jets pound PLO, Syrians in big offensive, though truce reported later; Israeli tanks, planes begin large-scale offensive along Damascus highway (involves 200 tanks, heavy artillery, rocket launchers); Palestinian camps, residential areas bombarded in first Israeli jet action over Beirut in 9 days; Lebanese government says IDF about to cut high-way in several places as IDF gains 4-5 miles; Syrian tank losses heavy, but Syrian troops restrain responses in effort to contain fighting; "wall-to-wall" Israeli tanks reported south of Beirut; two Israeli troop buses come under fire south of Tyre; Israeli artillery continues through night; IDF closing in on Aley; 50 Syrian tanks move across Syrian border to reinforce units in Lebanon; PLO units return Israeli gunfire from Burj al-Barajneh; general military mobilization in Syria.

Casualties:

Lebanese police estimate 27 killed, 80 wounded in new IDF bombing of Beirut; Israeli demolition teams dynamite buildings in Rashidiyeh refugee camp as all males are rounded up in Tyre; remaining residents of Rashidiyeh without food or medical care as Tyre residents refuse to help them; no walls higher than a few feet left in Rashidiyeh; Israeli officials announce Palestinian refugees are being denied tents because they fear a "temporary" solution will become permanent; 200,000 Palestinian refugees are in southern Lebanon, mainly around Sidon and Tyre.

Mobile bank units offer IDF all services, including facilitating purchase/ sale of securities on Tel Aviv stock market.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: Israel agrees to new cease-fire after Habib request; divisions within Labor Party between doves, hawks sharpen; 150 demonstrate against invasion in front of Knesset and Peace Now sends telegram asking no extension of the war; Labor Alignment opposes all military penetration of Beirut; Begin defends invasion before 36 angry US Senators who question use of cluster bombs; Israel denies ABC use of satellite in Israel because it broadcast interview with Arafat; Begin meets Haig.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: National Salvation Council meets, makes some progress on plani including IDF withdrawal from Beirut, PLO withdrawal into camps, Lebanese Army posted inside city; highway reopening; possible use of French troops being discussed; PLO denounces USSR for only symbolic support; Jumblatt accuses Habib of "hot di-plomacy"; Phalangists state opposition to any Syrian presence in Lebanon and, for first time, allow unarmed non-Lebanese civilians to evacuate Beirut; Lebanese government tells UN and Arab League it will not renew mandate for Syrian troops after July 19.

US and Other Countries: US embassy advises all Americans to move to E. Beirut (ship due in Jounieh to evacuate Americans); UK, West Germany also advise nationals to leave; PM Thatcher rules out use of British troops in Lebanon; Greek Premier meets with PLO's Kaddoumi; Dutch parliament condemns Israeli invasion, 144-6; Norwegian leaders re-ject Israeli invitation to visit Lebanon.

UN: UNIFIL says it will concentrate on helping civilians.

Military Action:

IDF enters Phalange-held areas of Beirut; Israeli jets make reconnaissance flights over city for first time in 3 days; sporadic fighting around Sidon; Israeli Cabinet agrees to extend 48-hour cease-fire requested by Habib; Syrians/PLO abandon airport terminal to shorten lines; PLO takes journalists on tour of defenses near airport; tension high in Beirut; Syrians reposition artillery near Lake Karoun.

Casualties:

In Sidon, main shopping district was oblit-erated and one quarter of city totally destroyed; bodies remain buried under rubble; still no electricity; water only 1 hour per day; Lebanese government says 1,100 killed in Sidon; IDF use Sidon informants to identify potential PLO suspects (suspicious Lebanese marked with black X on back, suspected PLO members with white, some Lebanese charge old grudges being settled by informants); many Palestinian refugees remain on Sidon beaches as they have nowhere to go; Tyre reported two-thirds destroyed, with port damage heavy.

Israel explores reviving bank, rail links in Lebanon; Israeli Trade Minister says 3 proposed banking and customs centers would aid Israeli exports to Lebanon; 4 Norwegians, 1 Canadian doctor released by Israel; Israel offers to help repair Sidon refinery.

Political Responses:

Israel/Occupied Territories: 4 Israeli professors attack invasion, ask Israeli soldiers to refuse to serve beyond Green Line in Beirut; Israel says invasion is open-ended and excludes negotiations with the PLO; Begin calls for international peacekeeping force in Lebanon with US troops; Sharon says Israeli aims will not be met until PLO headquarters in Beirut are eliminated; Begin says participants in multilateral force would have to make detailed, individual agreements with Israeli, Lebanese governments.

Palestinians/Lebanese: Lebanon's National Salvation Council, in first meeting, makes no progress-Gemayel, Sarkis, Wazzan, Butros reportedly demand PLO surrender, Jumblatt rejects; PLO asks for IDF pull-back, guarantees of PLO safety in return for allowing Lebanese Army to enter West Beirut.

Arab Governments: Syria rejects Sarkis' request for troop withdrawal, saying it is made under duress, instead suggests joint US/USSR peacekeeping force under UN auspices to get Israelis out; Iraq announces unilateral withdrawal from Iranian territory, following June 10 unilateral cease-fire; South Yemen demands strong Arab stand against US support for Israel; Mubarak supports idea of PLO government in exile, would allow it temporary home in Egypt, if it restricted itself to political activities; Kaddoumi in Geneva, says Egyptian offer not being considered now.

US and Other Countries: Weinberger says US investigating possible violations of US law by Israelis using US arms in Lebanon; Greeks show support for Palestinians with strike, protests, blood donations; Greece is the only EEC member to offer diplomatic recognition to the PLO.

Military Action:

Israelis, PLO exchange fire at airport, destroying 2 jets; Israeli gunboats shell airport, Palestinian camp (large fires reported); Israeli jeeps moving freely in southeastern Beirut; IDF claims 100 PLO tanks destroyed, huge weapons stockpiles captured; 250 PLO members holed up in 2 Sidon mosques; US call for 48-hour cease-fire fails; at IDF-called meeting, a group of Lebanese Christians de-clares loyalty to Haddad.

Casualties:

Arafat, in letter to UN, says 80,000 killed, 10,000 missing, 800,000 homeless; in Damour, no apartment blocks still stand; first UN/ICRC shipments reach Tyre, Sidon and the Bekaa valley, but IDF continues to ban relief shipment to Beirut; ICRC estimates 100,000-300,000 affected by fighting in Lebanon; IDF announces 214 Israelis killed, 1,114 wounded, 12 missing since outbreak of hostilities.

Political Responses:

Israel/Occupied Territories: Many unhappy with war as unnecessary, trying to impose solution on Lebanon; Israeli Cabinet votes for IDF not to enter Beirut; Israeli Pioneer Women start program to host Lebanese women, children for one-month stays; Shimon Peres meets Jumblatt in Lebanon in response to Socialist International request for report on Jumblatt's situation.

Palestinians/Lebanese: PLO asks that 250,000 Palestinian refugees be granted permanent residency, for retention of PLO administrative structure in Lebanon, and that PLO units keep their weapons, subject to negotiations with the Lebanese government, as the conditions for evacuation of PLO military units from Beirut; Habib meets with Sarkis (US reportedly wants Lebanese Army deployed in Beirut); Jumblatt meets with Habib to detail objections to Council's composition; Phalangists seen in Israeli uniforms, with US-made weapons; PLO official slain by car bomb in Rome.

Arab Governments: Libya reportedly considers military intervention in Lebanon, asks Arab oil-exporters to consider using oil weapon against Israel and its allies; Egyptian Foreign Minister says PLO willing to lay down arms; Egyptian government allows opposi-tion coalition to deliver petition to Mubarak representative but bans protest march; For-eign Minister Ghali bans sending Egyptian volunteers to fight with PLO, rejects demand for break in relations with Israel.

US and Other Countries: Pentagon reportedly makes unprecedented "formal dissent" to Haig's policy on Israel; France, Austria call for all troops to leave Lebanon.

Military Action:

Israeli and Syrian forces fight along highway seeking better positions; Syrian, Pha-langist clashes reported as Israeli column, al-lowed through Phalangist territory, moves to dislodge Syrians from mountains overlooking coast and Bekaa valley; all roads into Beirut and coastal areas are reported held by Israelis; all resistance at Ain el-Hilweh near Sidon crushed (40-50 guerrillas reported taken); PLO bulldozes embankments around camps for anti-tank obstacles, mines; pockets of guerrillas halt Israeli vehicles, near Sidon.

Casualties:

More refugees pour into Beirut; chief sur-geon at Gaza Hospital in Sabra refugee camp says mortality rate is 30-50 percent (only 15-20 percent in 1978 fighting) because of weapons being used by Israel; high casualty estimates for Tyre (15,000 suffering effects of fighting, 8,000 Palestinians living in the open), Sidon (300,000 residents said to flee port city; streets full of bodies), Jezzine (normally 20,000, it now has 200,000 refugees), Damour (empty of life as Israeli tanks drive through); 73 dead in bombing of apartment building in working-class Lebanese district; Gaza and Acre Hospital administrators say 90 percent of patients are civilian, 60 percent women and children.

Political Responses:

Israel/Occupied Territories: Israel demands Syrians quit Beirut (Syrians refuse, citing Arab Deterrent Force mandate); Begin flies to US to sell idea of Christian-led government in Lebanon; Gen. Sharon reported to meet clandestinely with Phalangist leaders; Begin says Egypt's ties with Israel pass "test"; Nahum Goldman reported to condemn Israeli invasion last week; legal problems raised by 6,000 Palestinian detainees (some hold foreign nationalities, some are under age); Peace Now speaks out against the war, calls on the Israeli government to invite Palestini-ans to the peace process..

Palestinians/Lebanese: Bashir Gemayel claims ignorance of Israeli intention to drive through his territory; pressure mounts to have Lebanese Army move into Beirut; Berri refuses to serve on National Salvation Council unless Jumblatt does.

Arab Governments: Al-Ahram calls on Egyptians to boycott Israel for its "Nazi genocidal war," asks firm stand against invasion by government; Egypt plans to send medical supplies to Lebanon via ICRC.

US: Habib meets with Lebanese leaders to discuss solution; US asks dependents and officials to leave the country.

UN: Lebanese government asks UN for food/relief supplies for 600,000 people for 6 months.

Military Action:

Israeli jets attack installations and refugee camps in Beirut's southern suburbs as well as airport; Khalde bombarded; Palestinian camps of Sabra and Burj al-Barajneh hit, as well as Datsun car depot, Pepsi bottling plant, farm equipment warehouse, tin can factory, water purification plant and Shia Muslim center of Ouzai; more leaflets dropped over Beirut as one of 'safe' escape routes listed on leaflet was being bombed; Israel seals off Beirut after blowing up bridge along the Beirut-Damascus highway; 19 Syrian batteries destroyed (of 4 new ones moved into Bekaa area, 2 destroyed, 2 damaged); 61 Syrian jets hit since June 6, as well as 5 helicopters); Israel says it captured hundreds of guerrillas; hundreds of Israeli tanks, jeeps, trucks flowing into Lebanon via Metulla (many with maps of the Bekaa valley); Israel and Syria declare cease-fire; 18 Syrian jets shot down. IDF invasion force now estimated at 60,000- 100,000.

PLO fighters leave camps, move to defend towns, 130,000 Palestinians reported in Beirut area; WAFA announces fighting in Sidon continues, as DFLP says Israel bombed Pales-tinian camps near northern port city of Tripoli; resistance to Israeli advance fierce on edges of Beirut.

Syrians involved in fierce fighting along Beirut-Damascus highway; fierce air battles with Israelis.

Casualties:

Selected journalists allowed to visit Tyre describe town as a "bombed out shell," with rubble littering streets; Tyre mayor says most buildings destroyed; PLO puts casualties at 8,000, mostly civilians; Palestinian Red Crescent puts Arab casualties at 10,000; Sidon reported nearly abandoned as Sidon residents line up for food, which some had lacked for 3-4 days; Israel orders UN forces in Lebanon to stop delivering food to Lebanese civilians caught in the fighting.

Maj. Gen. Y. Adam, slated to take over Mossad in the fall, killed in ambush; 68 killed, 424 wounded Israelis to date.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: Unanimous support for invasion erodes as Jerusalem Post expresses concern about "newly expanded war" and Haaretz criticizes involvement in "dormant civil war in Lebanon"; Amb. Arens outlines possible plans, says Israel may withdraw within a few months if a new Lebanese regime is set up.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: Druze leader Jumblatt allows Lebanese Army to take over some Druze positions in Chouf area and in Beirut; Gemayel pushes for Army to fill vacuum; Haddad states plans to incorporate all areas taken by IDF into "Free Lebanon," bans Pal-estinians from his area; Haddad units involved in "mop-up" operations with Israelis.

US: Reagan sends letter to Israel asking for cease-fire; Haig rejects invitation to go to Jerusalem; US expresses concern over invasion after Saudi Foreign Minister meets Reagan in Bonn and messages from Brezhnev (Begin responds that Israel will observe cease-fire Fri-day but not withdraw until Israeli terms are met).