The Palestine Chronology

Military Action:

Syrian forces shoot down pilotless Israeli drone aircraft over Beqaa valley; PLO rebels announce open-ended cease-fire in Tripoli area; IDF reports several guerrillas killed, arms and ammunition caches seized in Beqaa.

Casualties:

Massive prisoner exchange takes place as 6 IDF POWs released by PLO, 4500 Arab prisoners, including 63 Palestinians convicted of attacks in Israel, and 37 Palestinians arrested at sea in late September by Israeli navy off the coast of tripoli, released by Israel; Ansar camp closed, 3400 prisoners remain in Lebanon, 1100 flown by Air France to Algeria; IDF returns Palestinian Research Center archives seized in Beirut during 1982 invasion.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: Council of Jewish Settlements on West Bank and Gaza criticizes release of Palestinians from Israeli prisons, calls for death penalty in certain cases to prevent repetition.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: Saudi FM, in Damascus, says general agreement has been reached for cease-fire and withdrawal of all Palestinian forces in and around Tripoli, practical steps under discussion; Lebanese government announces it will break diplomatic relations with Iran, freeze relations with Libya.

US and Other Countries: White House announces that Reagan will meet Gemayel on December 1.

Military Action:

Arafat checks front lines of PLO in Beirut, visits refugee camps, offices; PLO delegation arrives in Tunisia to prepare for PLO guerrilla arrivals; IDF position in Bekaa fortified; 177 wounded PLO fighters leave by ship for Greece; Syrian forces begin withdrawal from Beirut; 697 PLO guerrillas leave for North Yemen; second group of PLO guerrillas evacuated to Tartus; Italian troops and French reinforcements joined US Marines in overseeing evacuation.

Casualties:

1 IDF soldier dies of wounds from attack north of Tyre; 1 IDF solider killed by Phalangists when he and two other soldiers tried to break into jewelry shop in Aley; UNRWA says tents needed to house 30,000 Palestinian refugees through winter (Lebanese government reportedly opposes more permanent housing, relocation further northward); thousands of Lebanese jam crossings into West Beirut as services slowly restored.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: Sharon warns Syria, calls on Lebanese cabinet to cooperate with US (later at New York meeting with Jewish groups, he defends invasion as step toward Middle East peace; 100 demonstrators protest outside); Sharon meets Shultz, says Israel opposed to Palestinian state as it already exists in Jordan; Deputy Minister of Communications Dov Shilansky, in radio debate, says Israeli media encouraged the enemy during the war; IDF lifts 10-day ban on travel from Nablus area to Jordan; Begin says inquiry commission should probe opposition, not war; Jerusalem Post poll finds Likud Party surges in popularity.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: Farouk Kaddoumi to lead PLO delegation to Arab Foreign Ministers meeting tomorrow; Habib meets Gemayel, asks Salaam to cooperate with Gemayel, assures Wazzan, Sarkis no Phalangists will be near overland evacuation.

Arab Govemments: Assad writes Reagan; Egypt sets three conditions for resuming autonomy talks in meeting with Israeli Ambassador (total IDF withdrawal from Lebanon; freeze on all further settlements in the occupied territories).

US and Other Countries: US Jewish leaders tell Shultz not to "rehabilitate" PLO.

Military Action:

IDF jets, ground forces launch new attack, reportedly destroying apartment building housing PLO "operations room"; air strike hits heart of W. Beirut, 100 yards from Wazzan's office; fighting rages near race track as IDF gains a block; IDF tank positions now in heart of residential areas of East Beirut; gunfire reported at nightfall in southeast part of West Beirut; IDF attacks shortly follow Wazzan announcement of "virtual agreement" on evacuation plan; Sharon visits East Beirut; IDF gunboats fire at residential areas swollen with Lebanese and Palestinian refugees; car bomb explodes outside devastated building, injuring and killing rescuers.

Casualties:

Casualties estimated at 10 (Red Cross) to 250 (PLO); Beirut radio puts toll at 100-150 (many of bodies pulled from rubble were women and children); thousands continue to flee West Beirut; damage to city water main limits water to East Beirut; 64 Syrian soldiers killed, wounded in fighting in Beirut.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: Israel continues to insist PLO leave Lebanon before international peacekeeping force arrives; Begin reportedly rejects US proposal for IDF pullback in letter to Reagan; Israeli official says any US sanctions could backfire, produce stronger IDF actions.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: Wazzan announces "virtual agreement" between US, Lebanese, PLO negotiators on terms of withdrawal; Butros, Wazzan, Sarkis confer with Habib; PLO reportedly asks Syria to accept PLO evacuees.

Arab Governments: Saudi Arabia issues first implicit criticism of US support for Israel since invasion began, saying it "denounces" powers supporting, backing Israel; Hussein of Jordan reportedly willing to offer amnesty to PLO guerrillas expelled in 1970 to facilitate peaceful resolution of Beirut crisis (100 Jordanian women prevented from delivering petition to US embassy protesting IDF siege of Beirut); Egypt's ambassador returns to Tel Aviv.

US and Other Countries: French officer arrives to study logistics of deploying French troops.

UN: USSR calls for urgent meeting of Security Council, proposes resolution to impose arms ban on Israel (US vetoes, UK abstains, France and Japan support resolution).

Military Action:

Low-level fighting continues around Beirut, despite cease-fire; PLO guerrillas in southern Lebanon fire single rocket into northern Israel for the first time since June 6, 2 guerrillas captured; IDF troops trade fire with PLO south of Beirut; IDF jets fly more mock raids over Beirut; reports of IDF build-up east and south of the city; IDF artillery barrages resume late tonight; IDF ammunition trucks sighted along coastal road, as well as dozens of rocket launchers.

Casualties:

Several hundred Muslims march through W. Beirut up to Green Line demanding an end to the siege; 5 IDF soldiers killed, 8 wounded in PLO ambushes near Tyre and in the Bekaa.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: Sharon rules out temporary evacuation of PLO to northern Lebanon; official expresses strong disapproval of any US recognition of the PLO on whatever basis; Begin is briefed by US Ambassador Lewis on Reagan's meeting with Saud and Khaddam; Avneri tells press conference that PLO initiative to gain US recognition started before invasion, says Haig personally involved; Foreign Affairs Committee discusses "serious erosion" in US determination to oppose recognition of PLO; Yitzhah Rabin warns of possible "war of attrition" developing in the Bekaa valley.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: Salam meets with Arafat, calls for Arab summit to resolve problem of where PLO guerrillas are to go; Habib meets with Sarkis to report on Reagan meeting; PLO officials optimistic on talks with Reagan, but fear new fighting with IDF.

Arab Governments: Iran-Iraq conflict escalates, deflects attention from Lebanese conflict.

US and Other Countries: US cautiously explores new plan with other governments; USSR criticizes Arab countries for failing to act in unison over the Lebanese crisis; Mayor Andrew Young of Atlanta calls Israeli invasion "unjustified."

Military Action:

IDF and PLO forces fight rocket, tank and artillery duels across Beirut in evening after a day of intermittent shelling; thousands of civilians flee to shelters; Palestinian areas of Barbir and Mazraa reportedly hard hit along with southern outskirts; PLO fire targets IDF emplacements in Hadeth, near East Beirut; shells land at major crossing points, Beirut racetrack, the airport and Burj al-Barajneh; 10 members of 50-man Lebanese security guard unit at airport wounded in shelling; Lebanese Defense Ministry indirectly accuses PLO of starting outbreak by shelling Galerie Semaan crossing; IDF using C-130 Hercules planes to ferry arms and equipment into Lebanon; IDF has reportedly widened and improved a small airstrip at Ansar, west of Nabatiyeh near detention camp.

Casualties:

Beirut experiences major gas shortages, gunfights break out at gas lines; despite token IDF troop pullback to let Wazzan pass and Israeli denial that food was being kept out of W. Beirut, IDF soldiers continue to turn away food lorries as well as fuel and medicine; IDF spokesman says Israel has captured 9,000 suspected PLO guerrillas, 30-60 reportedly being arrested every day; small bands still hiding in hills east of Sidon, occasionally attacking IDF troops; Lebanese police estimate 50 killed, 200 wounded in fierce artillery and rocket duels in the evening; Beirut's 3 main hospitals report 515 killed, 2,200 wounded at their facilities alone since the invasion.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: Mayor Rashid al-Shawa of Gaza is dismissed by the Israeli Defense Ministry, becoming the seventh Arab mayor ousted since March after refusing to lift a 2-month municipal strike against cooperation with new Israeli "civil administration"; 35 IDF reserve soldiers involved in Entebbe rescue in 1976 protest the war in Lebanon in letter sent to Begin; 86 reserve officers and soldiers recently released from their units ask Defense Ministry not to be sent back to Lebanon, appeal for evacuation of all Israeli troops; Communications Minister Zipori opposes setting final deadline for getting "terrorists" out of Beirut; demonstrators in Nablus stone IDF soldiers, tear gas and gunfire used to disperse demonstrators; military authorities ban request of Palestine Bank in Gaza Strip to collect money for Lebanon war victims.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: Beirut negotiations falter amidst contradictory signals: PLO leader Kaddoumi's statement in London that PLO has agreed to leave Beirut countered by PLO statement in Beirut that PLO has not agreed to leave country, only to move its headquarters from Beirut; adviser to Arafat Hani al-Hassan affirms agreement with Lebanese Government to pull PLO out of Beirut when an international force sanctioned by the UN and containing Americans enters the capital to guarantee the PLO's safe exit and protect remaining Palestinian civilians; Habib reportedly resists deployment of international force before PLO withdrawal to avoid any implicit US recognition of PLO; PLO rejects pullout by sea; PLO insists on maintaining political presence in Lebanon; Wazzan ends 5-day boycott of negotiations, takes PLO demands to Baabda following easing of IDF blockade; Bashir Gemayel states opposition to US troops entering Lebanon, says Lebanese Army should secure W. Beirut; Habib contacts Sharon, who reportedly favors a military solution.

Arab Governments: Syria refuses to receive PLO guerrillas from Lebanon, saying they should stay in Lebanon until they return to Palestine; Arab League delegation including PLO's Kaddoumi in London for talks.

US and Other Countries: Morris Draper, Habib aide, reportedly sent to Syria to get it to accept PLO forces temporarily; Habib reportedly rejects two-stage withdrawal; US Sixth Fleet waits off Lebanese coast; White House officials expect negotiation breakthrough soon, describe IDF cut-off of water and electricity as "outrageous"; issue reportedly taken up by Reagan in letter to Begin; Habib plan reportedly calls for IDF pullback of 1 km. while PLO forces begin evacuation; State Department says US "deeply regrets" Shawa dismissal; Britain declines role in peacekeeping force in Lebanon.