The Palestine Chronology

Israeli-Palestinian clashes escalate, leaving 8 Palestinians dead, including senior Islamic Jihad mbr. Sa'ir al-Khruf, who is assassinated by the IDF. (1 Palestinian dies en route to the hospital when his ambulance is detained by the IDF for over 1 hr.) In Nablus, 20,000 Palestinians attend a funeral for 3 of the dead killed overnight. Israel allows a small number of West Bank, Gaza Palestinians over age 35 to attend Friday prayers at al-Aqsa Mosque. Those that are barred scuffle with Israeli police who respond with rubber bullets, stun grenades, tear gas. The IDF also placed curfews on Salfit, Qasrah to conduct an arrest sweep. IDF directed shells, heavy machine gun fire at residential areas in Aida, Aqbat Jabir camp, Bayt Jala (damaging an elementary school), al-Bireh, Dayr al-Balah, Nablus, Ramallah (damaging the PA Local Government Min.), Tulkarm; bulldozes Palestinian agricultural land across Gaza, in Qalqilya. In Rafah, the IDF fires a shell at a family protesting the bulldozing of their land, injuring 6 children. Jewish settlers attack Palestinian property around Qalqilya, shoot at Palestinians in Silt al-Thahir (wounding 1). (ADM, LAW 12/15; NYT, WP, WT 12/16; PCHR 12/18; NYT 1/17)

Israel's Ben-Ami meets with Arafat at Erez to discuss resuming peace talks, holds follow-up mtg. with PA Information M `Abid Rabbuh in Tel Aviv. The State Dept. says that midlevel Israeli, PA negotiators may come top Washington the wk. of 12/18. (NYT, WP 12/16) (see 12/10)

In Gaza, over 30,000 Palestinians attend a Hamas rally in support of continuing the al-Aqsa intifada no matter what stand the PA regarding negotiations with Israel. (MEI 12/22)

On the sidelines of th EU FMs' mtg. in Brussels, Arafat, Israeli FM Levy hold the highest Israeli-PA mtg. since the pair met in Malta 4/15. Afterward, both men say that they made significant progress toward resuming Oslo II implementation negotiations. (MM 7/22; MM, NYT, WP, WT 7/23; YA 7/25 in WNC 7/28)

In Washington, Israeli cabinet secy. Nave holds 2d mtg. with U.S. special envoy Ross. (MM, NYT 7/23; WJW 7/24) (see 7/21)

In Jerusalem, Israeli pres. Ezer Weizman discusses with Arafat dep. Abbas ways of restarting the peace talks. (NYT 7/24)

On their way fr. attending a Fatah rally in Nablus in support PA policeman Col. Musaymi (see 7/20), 4 PC mbrs. (all Fatah mbrs.) are arrested by the IDF, detained under orders fr. "high places" at the IDF's West Bank military headquarters for 5 hrs. (PR 7/25)

In Tel Aviv, an Israeli Arab wielding a sword and knife stabs 2 Israeli women at a sidewalk cafe, lightly injures 11 others. In a separate incident in Gaza, a Palestinian woman stabs, slightly wounds an Israeli border guard nr. a Jewish settlement; is arrested by PA police. (WP 7/23; PR 7/25; JP 8/2)

PA reports that the IDF has sent 8 tanks, several armored personnel carriers, long-range 175-mm. Howitzer guns into Gaza to reinforce Gush Qatif settlement bloc. (al-Hayat al-Jadida 7/22 in WNC 7/23)

Syria allows businessmen to travel to Iraq individually, declaring void explicit restrictions on travel to Iraq that have been placed on Syrian passports since 1980. (RMC 7/22 in WNC 7/23) (see 7/19)

Israel releases list of 101 deported Palestinians who may return immediately to the o.t. Deportees refuse to accept the list and pledge that none will return until all are allowed back. (Qol Yisra'el 2/5 in FBIS 2/5; Radio Lebanon 2/5 in FBIS 2/8; NYT 2/6)

Palestinian UN rep. Nasir al-Kidwa meets with UN Secy.-Gen. Butrus-Ghali, informs him of the PLO's decision not to participate in any peace talks until UNSCR 799 is implemented. (Sanaa VOP 2/5 in FBIS 2/8)

Chmn. Arafat meets with King Hussein in Amman, then flies to Cairo for 3-day visit. Talks with Pres. Mubarak focus on the deportees and peace talks, as well as arranging a Secy. of State Christopher-Arafat visit when the former visits the region beginning 2/17. (MENA, RJN, RMC 2/5 in FBIS 2/8)

Two polls find 61% and 54% of Israeli Jews are against the U.S.-Israeli package deal to allow 100 deportees back. (MaAriv, Yedi'ot Aharonot 2/5 in MM 2/5)

IDF shoots 3 armed Palestinians dead in a car in the Gaza Strip. IDF shoots 2 dead, wounds 30 more Palestinians in ensuing demonstrations. (NYT 2/6; MM 2/8)

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: Prime Minister's office reacts angrily to reports that US may postpone Begin's visit if no progress is made in Lebanon peace talks; Eitan is criticized by Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee for comments on Lebanon yesterday; former military intelligence chief Shlomo Gazit, now President of Ben Gurion University in Beersheba, says Arafat's success is the large number of men Israel keeps mobilized to prevent terrorism, that security forces should not be kept on alert in the West Bank; El Al airlines resumes operations after 4 month strike over issue of flights on Sabbath and Jewish holidays; Minister for Science and Development Yuval Ne'eman, acting chair of Cabinet settlement committee, issues communique that settlements in West Bank, Gaza Strip and Golan Heights will continue despite US criticism; Israeli military experts reported organizing Zairian army; military roadblock around Najah University effectively implementing Order 854 which requires students from other districts to have special permit to attend university; Civil Administration says it is not involved in land dispute over Hebron municipality electricity pylons torn down by Kiryat Arba residents, that IDF is responsible; military authorities declare Hebron closed military area to prevent 50 Peace Now members from assisting Hebron residents re-erect and guard electricity pylons.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: PLO Chairman Arafat meets with CPSU Secretary-General Yuri V. Andropov and Foreign Minister Andrei A. Gromyko, Arafat and Andropov declare that US shares full responsibility for Israel's criminally aggressvie actions because it gives Israel all the assistance it needs; Lebanese Government states preference for expanded role for UNIFIL throughout Lebanon after withdrawal of Israeli, Syrian and Palestinian forces; Dany Chamoun visits Saad Haddad in Marjayoun and Christian notables in Klea.

Arab Govemnments: King Fahd confers in Riyadh with Walid Jumblatt; Morocco retracts announcement on Arab League delegation, saying no decision will be made until Arab foreign ministers meet in Marrakesh; President Assad tells visiting Arab news agencies' directors that Syria rejects current Middle East peace plans, but would attend an Arab summit to map out collective action.

US and Other Countries: 500 at United Jewish Appeal luncheon addressed by Israeli President Navon, who says both Labor and Likud parties agree that a return to 1967 borders is not acceptable, PLO is a terrorist organization, a West Bank Palestinian state would be a security threat to Israel and base for Soviet intervention in the region, that Jerusalem is the undivided capital of Israel, but he says that Israel would take into consideration any change in the PLO covenant; Italian General Confederation of Labor meets with leaders of Rome's Jewish community to formulate plans to combat anti-Semitism.

Military Action:

Artillery duels between Druze and Phalange militia near Baabda.

Casualties:

5 killed, 9 wounded in Druze-Phalange fighting.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: Chief of Staff Rafael Eitan says Israel may face 100 years of terrorism, that in practice the war in Lebanon has not ended, and one cannot solve all the problems of terrorism in one war, that if the IDF remains in Lebanon for long it may have to mount an intensive campaign to root out terrorist cells as was done in the Gaza Strip after the 1967 war; Defense Minister Sharon flatly rejects any PLO participation in future peace talks with Jordan, and dismisses Iraq's declaration of recognition of Israel's security needs as merely effort to get US arms for war against Iran; Israeli Foreign Minister legal adviser Elyakim Rubenstein says the recall of Egypt's Ambassador to Israel is a violation of the Camp David accords; Avid Kedar, head of Foreign Ministry's Egypt Department, says contacts between Israel and Egypt frozen since Peace for Galilee Campaign; Sgan Nitzav Albert Hayut, new director of Beersheba prison announces 500 security prisoners to be moved to new maximum security prison, equipped with latest electronic monitors, near Nablus; attorney Nissim Shakar of the Committee for Jaffa's Arabs says they will appeal proposed law that non-Jews must close shops on Yom Kippur as well as own religious holidays, and not transport goods on Saturday and Jewish holidays; Israeli officials announce requests by Palestinians to visit relatives in Lebanon decline due to security situation, 5 Israeli Palestinians disappeared recently in Lebanon; bomb near Zedekiah's Cave outside Jerusalem's Damascus Gate critically wounds a Palestinian worker; military authorities surround Najah University, effectively closing the campus, prevent Israeli Association for Civil Rights representative from entering, detain 9 student council members; in Nablus students stone troops who use tear gas and close off market area; rock throwing incidents in Ramallah, al-Bireh aid Dheisheh camp, now defined as District of Binyamin, also in jenin where placards and leaflets are found attributed to National Liberation Movement denouncing as treasonous Arafat's and Hussein's attempt to reach accommodation with Israel.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: PLO Chairman Arafat goes to Moscow; 5 Palestinian leaders and Lebanese Communist Party meet in Tripoli.

Arab Governments: King Hussein tells local leaders that he has a letter from Reagan commiting the US to pressure Israel to restore Arab rights in the occupied territories, and that time is running out for achieving a unified Arab approach by March; Moroccan Foreign Ministry announces agreement with Britain on Arab League delegation to include non-PLO Palestinian; Egyptian Socialist Labor Party poll of 1,486 persons shows 82% want Israeli ambassador expelled, 76To want to sever relations with Israel.

US and Other Countries: State Department says Israeli settlement promotion campaign is unfortunate and counterproductive; Administration officials say US is counting on King Hussein to declare his readiness to join talks on basis of Reagan plan if the PLO and Saudi Arabia support it, if progress is made on troop withdrawals from Lebanon, and if Israel temporarily halts settlement activity; Secretary of State Shultz meets for 2 hours with 14 members of Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations and leading Jewish Republicans, tells them of growing fears that Israel and Syria have tacit agreement to keep status quo in Lebanon, they tell him they want US to support Israel's demand for normalization of relations with Lebanon; delegation of Conservative MPs from Britain meet with Begin, give him message of support from Prime Minister Thatcher; European Parliament calls for establishment of a Palestinian state as a factor in a Middle East settlement, direct PLO-Israel dialogue, immediate halt to settlements in the West Bank, Israeli withdrawal from occupied territory, recognition of PLO as representative of Palestinian people if it drops from its charter all paragraphs calling for Israel's destruction, and sovereignty of all states in the region; Habib arrives in Israel.