In the West Bank, Israeli settlers stole some 100 Palestinian-owned hay bales in Burin. Israeli forces shot and injured 3 Palestinians while traveling in the same car near al-Bireh. 12...
Phalange forces, backed by IDF, have artillery duels with Syrian-supported Lebanese leftist militia; Phalange-Druze conflicts reported (nephew of Gemayel reportedly killed...
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In the West Bank, Israeli settlers stole some 100 Palestinian-owned hay bales in Burin. Israeli forces shot and injured 3 Palestinians while traveling in the same car near al-Bireh. 12 Palestinians were arrested during late-night raids in Kafr Na‘im, al-Bireh, Askar refugee camp, and Sa‘ir; 2 Palestinian children were injured by rubber-coated bullets during a confrontation with soldiers in Askar refugee camp. In East Jerusalem, 10 Palestinians were arrested during raids in Jabal al-Mukabir and al-Tur. In Gaza, 1 Palestinian injured in Israeli air strikes in al-Bureij on 5/17 succumbed to his injuries, raising the comprehensive death toll since 5/10 from 259 to 260, including 67 children and 3 pregnant women. In Israel, 1 Palestinian guard at a construction site was severally beaten by 10 Jewish-Israelis in Binyamina. 1 firebomb was thrown at a house occupied by Jewish-Israelis in Lydda; no injuries were reported. (WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/27; HA, WAFA 5/28; PCHR 6/3)
Israel approved 560 new settlement units in the Mtsad settlement near Kisan. (WAFA 5/27; MEMO 5/28)
According to Middle East Eye, the PA has been arresting at least 14 critics of the government in the West Bank since 5/1, with the largest arrest campaign on 5/22. (MEE 5/27; AJ 5/28)
At a meeting in the Knesset, it was revealed that 1,892 Israelis had been arrested in protests and in confrontations and clashes between Palestinian-Israelis and Jewish-Israelis, and that only 183 of them are Jewish-Israelis. Israeli police dubbed its arrest campaign “Operation Law and Order.” Palestinian-Israeli lawmakers called the operation racist, saying it only targets Palestinian-Israelis. (AJ, HA 5/28; MEMO 5/29; AJ 6/1)
1 Palestinian-Israeli imam Shaykh Kamal Khatib, the deputy leader of the northern faction of the Islamic Movement in Israel, was charged with incitement to terrorism and identification of a terrorist organization. Shaykh Khatib was arrested on 5/16. Khatib’s lawyer called the charges a political persecution. (HA, MEE 5/27)
An Egyptian official said that Egypt had invited Israeli, Hamas, and PA officials to Egypt for separate talks about reinforcing the ceasefire and accelerating the rebuilding of Gaza. A Hamas official said that Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh would visit Cairo next week and that Hamas is ready to talk about a prisoner swap. The Israeli foreign minister Gabi Ashkenazi is expected to meet the Egyptian foreign minister Sameh Shoukry as part of the talks. (ALM, AP, HA, HA 5/27)
Israel summoned the French ambassador to Israel after the French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian on 5/23 said, about Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory, that the “risk of apartheid is strong if we continue to follow a logic of one state, or of status quo.” (HA, MEMO 5/26; ALM, HA, HA 5/27)
A public opinion poll released by the Arab American Institute said that 51% of Americans are for restricting U.S. military aid to Israel. 62% of Democrats supported restricting U.S. military aid to Israel. The poll was conducted on 5/20, the day the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas was announced. (MEE 5/27)
The UN Human Rights Council passed a resolution to investigate the latest escalation of violence between Israel and Hamas and Israeli attacks on Palestinians in East Jerusalem. 9 countries voted against the resolution, including Austria, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Czech Republic, Germany, Malawi, the Marshall Islands, U.K., and Uruguay. 14 countries abstained. Israel said it would not cooperate with the investigation. Hamas said its actions during the 11 days of violence were “legitimate resistance.” The U.S. said it opposed the investigation. The UN high commissioner for human rights Michelle Bachelet stated that Israeli attacks on Gaza may be war crimes and that rockets fired from Gaza were a violation of international law. Separately, the UN appealed countries to raise $95 million in aid to Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem. (AJ, AJ, ALM, AP, AP, HA, HA, HA, MEE, PCHR, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU, VOA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 5/27; ALM, MEMO, MEMO 5/28)
Japan announced $10 million in humanitarian aid to Gaza. (WAFA 5/27)
More than 600 prominent international musicians signed a calling Israel a “settler-colonial project committed to the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian population” and calling for a boycott of Israel. (HA 5/28; MEMO 5/29; WAFA 5/30)
Military Action:
Phalange forces, backed by IDF, have artillery duels with Syrian-supported Lebanese leftist militia; Phalange-Druze conflicts reported (nephew of Gemayel reportedly killed); Muslim/Christian conflicts around Tripoli; 2 Israeli generals visit Jumblatt's center, demand that his forces surrender artillery and mortars; Phalange moves into Chouf and Sidon, replacing Lebanese gendarmerie; Israeli jets hold mock battles over Beirut, dropping flares over Palestinian refugee camps; PLO bolsters positions inside W. Beirut; Phalange shoot from behind IDF lines.
Casualties:
Israeli government developing plans for security of southern Lebanon not involving international help (arms and uniforms given to villagers); observers report more physical damage in Tyre than Sidon (where casualties higher); Lebanese bankers protest IDF attempt to violate bank secrecy in Sidon; IDF asks Druze/Phalange leaders to stop fighting between followers (Phalange reportedly using arms against Druze; IDF caught in cross-fire); villages of Jumblatt refuse to be disarmed (Druze Likud Knesset member asks Sharon to restrain Phalangists "who draw their strength from the Defense Minister").
UNRWA reports that 50 percent of houses in 6 Palestinian refugee camps near Sidon/Tyre are destroyed, 40 percent of refugees have fled, UNRWA convoy scheduled to leave Jerusalem for Tyre today (draws on stocks in Gaza and West Bank); two-thirds of two camps near Tyre destroyed (no clear report on third camp); Ain el-Hilweh reportedly "virtually wiped out," Rashidiyeh suffers less damage; 200,000 tons of aid from France, West Germany, Denmark waiting in Cyprus for IDF permission to ship; Canadian physician who worked in Sidon says 50 percent of 10,000 killed by IDF invasion were children under 13 (his hospital was bombed 4 times, he saw pellet bombs dropped on refugee camps, and saw Palestinian prisoners beaten with clubs and metal-tipped whips).
Political Responses:
Israel/ Occupied Territories: Begin disagrees with message from Haig that PLO should be allowed token political presence in Lebanon if Lebanon agrees (says that despite his statement in the US that Israel had no intention of entering Beirut, with IDF on Beirut's periphery "it was another matter," and urges Beirut residents to "flee for your lives"); Israeli Cabinet agrees to give negotiations more time, extends "deadline"; officials indicate Saudi plans for airlift might be acceptable; Foreign Ministry condemns EEC call for involvement of PLO in negotiations; Labor Alignment resolution opposing military action in Beirut gets 47 votes (Likud resolution gets 60, reference to multinational policing of 28-mile zone conspicuously absent); cost of war put at $2.5 billion for Israel ($1 b. in direct costs, $1.5 b. in indirect costs from resultant economic slowdown; equals 10-15 percent of GNP); IDF service extension for those essential for war effort being discussed; officials claim PLO takes advantage of peace negotiations; 200 protest Israeli invasion near Prime Minister's office (including 15 reservists back from Lebanon, who say they have signatures of 200 soldiers opposed to the war); trial of 20 Palestinian youths for guerrilla actions begins in Lydda and Ramal-lah; Israeli Druze leader asks Begin to restrain Phalange attacks on Lebanese Druze.
Palestinians/ Lebanese: Phalange party plans to nominate Bashir Gemayel for Lebanese President; negotiations stall as no Arab countries indicate willingness to accept all PLO fighters; Lebanese continue to flee Beirut, leaving streets deserted; Wazzan puts civilian deaths at 15,000 (IDF Colonel Kadar says deaths number only a few thousand-in excess of 440 civilian deaths cited by Begin last week); Wazzan, after meeting with Habib, rejects Israeli conditions; PLO forces in Tripoli vow to fight on regardless of any settlement in-volving PLO forces in Beirut; PLO privately reiterates willingness to leave Lebanon (form of evacuation and surrender of arms left un-resolved); PLO meets with Salam.
Arab Govemments: Saudis reported active diplomatically; Arab League representatives meet in Taif to continue discussion of common approach to IDF invasion (includes Syrian, Saudi, Lebanese, PLO, Algerian and Kuwaiti envoys).
US and Other Countries: Reagand enies giving Israel "green light" for invasion, says it resulted from PLO rocket attacks on Israel; Senator Percy says IDF invasion of W. Beirut would be "unacceptable" because of civilian casualties; State Department official warns of risk of renewed fighting if PLO and Lebanon do not come to terms soon; Haig sends message saying PLO should be allowed some political presence in Lebanon if Lebanese authorities agree; French Foreign Minister Cheysson, after meeting with Egyptian envoy Ghali, speaks of PLO as representing Palestinian people; Greek Ministry of Culture supervises huge concert in Athens to aid Palestinian children; Nigerian parliament passes resolution condemning Israel; protests held in cities in USSR; USSR accuses Israelis of using chemical weapons in Lebanon supplied by US.
