The Palestine Chronology

In the Gaza Strip, IDF troopsstationed along the border arrest 2 Palestinians attempting to enter Israel. In the West Bank, IDF troops enter e. Nablus on a raid and clash with Palestinians, injuring 3 with live ammunition and tear gas. IDF troops enter an area e. of Yatta nr. Hebron and seize a tractor and 4 water tanks; demolish several mobile homes in a village e. of Ramallah; deliver stop-work notes to several construction sites nr. Jericho and demolition notices for 6 wells in Qusra village in the n. West Bank, where Israeli settlers later attack Palestinian property; 2 of the settlers are detained. Separately, around 100 settlers from Adi Ad gather nr. al-Mughir village, but IDF troops intervene before they can attack the residents. In East Jerusalem, Israeli security forces enter Jabal Mukabir to deliver demolition orders to the homes of the Palestinians who attacked a synagogue and were killed on 11/18, then raid a mourning tent set up for them; 5 Palestinians are injured in the ensuing clashes. There are further clashes in Abu Dis, and 37 Palestinians are injured. In Sur al-Bahir, Silwan, and al-Tur, undercover Israeli military officers raid multiple homes, sparking more clashes; approximately 35 Palestinians suffer effects of tear gas inhalation and 12 are injured with rubber-coated metal bullets. Israeli security forces also conduct arrest raids on several homes in the Old City. Late at night, 4 Israeli girls from Yitzhar settlement in the West Bank attack a Palestinian taxi driver with pepper spray. (IMEMC, MNA, WAFA 11/20; MNA 11/21; PCHR 11/27)

Israel’s FM announces that it will return its amb. to Sweden on 11/29, after Amb. Isaac Bachman was recalled in the wake of Sweden’s recognition of Palestine as a state on 10/30. (JP, YA 11/20)

After meeting with UK Foreign Secy. Philip Hammond in London, U.S. Secy. of State Kerry travels to Paris for meetings with French FM Laurent Fabius and Saudi FM Saud al-Faisal, then to Vienna to join the P5+1 negotiating team ahead of the 11/24 deadline. Meanwhile, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Yukiya Amano, calls on Iran to increase its cooperation with the agency, saying that the govt. has not been transparent about some aspects of its research. (AP, NYT, REU, TOI 11/20)

FMs of Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, and Palestine (PLO pol. dept. head Faruk Qaddumi) meet in Damascus at invitation of Syrian FM Faruk al-Shara' to coordinate negotiating strategy. Haydar 'Abd al-Shafi and other Palestinian delegation members also attend talks. Egypt and the Palestinians reportedly support the Israeli-American plan for an autonomy agreement by 10/30; Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan oppose this. (Radio Lebanon, SANA 7/24 in FBIS 7/24; MM 7/24)

King Hussein meets with Pres. Asad in Damascus. (Syrian Arab Republic Radio 7/24 in FBIS 7/27)

Prominent Palestinian Israelis meet in Tunis with PLO officials. (ITV 7/23 in FBIS 7/24)

PLO Exec. Comm. issues memo rejecting Israel's "theatrical step" of cancelling 6,600 o.t. housing contracts that were only imaginary projects of Shamir and Sharon. (Algiers VOP 7/24 in FBIS 7/27)

At news conference with Saudi FM Prince Saud al-Faisal in Jidda, Secy. of State Baker praises Israel's partial freeze of new settlement construction but says U.S. will need to decide whether the action meets conditions for granting loan guarantees. (NYT 7/25)

Israeli jets raid Hizballah targets in Jabal Safi, Iqlim al-Tuffah regions, S.Lebanon, following up 7/24 attacks. (Qol Yisra'el 7/24 in FBIS 7/24; MM 7/24)

Fateh Revolutionary Council blames Mossad in collaboration with PLO in 7/23 killing of Walid Khalid (Al-Anwar 7/24 in FBIS 7/28)

Lebanese govt. sets dates for first general elections in 20 years, despite Christian opposition to holding the vote before Syrian withdrawal. Regional elections rounds will be held 8/23, 8/30, and 9/6. (WP 7/25)

Jerusalem mayor Teddy Kollek says he would meet with the UN delegation sent to investigate Haram al-Sharif incident [JPD 10/16 in FBIS 10/16; MEM 10/16; NYT, LAT, WT 10/17].

U.S. is urging Britain to tone down resolution it plans to introduce in UN Sec. Council that would require Iraq to pay compensation for damage resulting from invasion of Kuwait. Sources say Washington fears that Arab nations would demand similar action against Israel for its occupation of land claimed by Palestinians [NYT 10/16].

U.S. also urges Israel to accept UN investigation into Haram al-Sharif killings, saying not to do so is to "let Iraq off the hook" as far as accepting UN resolutions [LAT, WP, NYT 10/16].

"Popular Kuwaiti Congress" ends its 3-day meeting in Jeddah with communique strongly supporting ruling family, calling upon UN to "use all available means" to liberate Kuwait [NYT, LAT, WP, WT, MEM 10/16; SPA 10/15 in FBIS 10/17].

In speech before Knesset, P.M. Shamir attacks pillars of U.S. policy in Middle East; while he does not mention U.S. or Bush admin. directly, Shamir criticizes sale of arms to Arab nations, efforts to arrange Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, and promotion of close relations with countries that are hostile to Israel [LAT, WP 10/16].

P.M. Shamir sends letter to Pres. Bush asking him to "put the Temple Mount incident behind us," also reiterates Israel's refusal to accept UN investigation of Haram al-Sharif shootings [LAT 10/18].

One-day meeting of Jerusalem Committee of the Islamic Conference Organization occurs in Rabat with King Hassan, Chrrnn. Arafat, and Saudi F.M. Prince Saud al-Faisal in attendance [RADS 10/15 in FBIS 10/16].

At press conference, E. Jerusalem-based Palestine Human Rights Information Center (PHRIC) revises downwards death toll from Haram al-Sharif killings to 17 instead of 21 (2 of reported dead were injured but survived, 1 died of heart attack, and 1 was shot by Israeli civilian elsewhere in city). Other human rights groups, including Al-Haq, subsequently follow [MEM 10/26]. 

Iraq's deputy P.M. Ramadan says Iraq prefers war to capitulation and that any decision to pull out of Kuwait must be linked to Israeli withdrawal from O.T. [WP 10/5].

Kuwaiti and Western officials report Kuwait's underground resistance movement is giving up much of its armed struggle after wave of executions by Iraqi troops that has left up to several hundred civilians dead [WP, LAT 10/5].

Soviet envoy Primakov arrives in Baghdad with message from Pres. Gorbachev, meets with F.M. Aziz and is to meet with Saddam (cf. 10/6) [INA 10/4 in FBIS 10/5; MEM 10/4; NYT, LAT, WT 10/5]; F.M. Shevardnadze meets Saudi F.M. Saud al-Faisal in New York [SPA 10/4 in FBIS 10/4].

Japanese P.M. Kaifu meets in Amman with Iraq's deputy P.M. Ramadan, then with King Hussein and offers Jordan $250 million in development loans [MEM 10/4; NYT, LAT, WT 10/5].

Pres. Mitterrand meets King Fahd in Jeddah, assures Saudis of French solidarity against Iraq NYT, LAT, MEM 10/5].

Aircraft carrier USS Independence leaves the Gulf after 3 days [LAT, NYT, WT 10/5].

British F.M. Hurd and Italian F.M. de Michelis say in separate interviews that Israel must move quickly to make peace with Palestinians as soon as Gulf crisis is over. "Algeria has told us: 'Within one minute of the end of the crisis, we Arabs, including the moderate, will demand that the UN impose exactly the same sanctions on Israel as on Iraq.' They have a right to do so and plenty of reasons.... Israel must open up on this" says de Michelis [WT, MEM 10/5].

Pres. Mubarak and Saudi F.M. Prince Saud al-Faisal hold talks in Cairo on Gulf crisis [MET 8/28].

French gov't, alarmed by reports that its citizens are being detained in Baghdad, orders its Gulf fleet to use force if necessary to ensure compliance with UN sanctions [WP 8/20].

PLO issues first official statement on Gulf crisis, saying it will continue to seek Arab solution that would "preserve everyone's dignity, and not in favor of one party at the expense of another" [MEM 8/20; CSM 8/21]; Chrmn. of Palestine National Fund and PLO Exec. Committee member Jawayd al-Ghusayn calls Iraq's occupation of Kuwait illegal; says PLO should not take sides in the crisis [SPA 8/19, AFP 8/20 in FBIS 8/20; WT 8/20].

Israeli F.M. David Levy calls for gas masks to be distributed immediately to the population [JDS 8/19 in FBIS 8/20].

Israeli Supreme Court rejects a petition calling on army to lift permanent nighttime curfew on Gaza Strip, saying it was not convinced the army's reasons for imposing curfew were wrong [MEM 8/20; JPD 8/20 in FBIS 8/24; FJ 9/3].

IDF troops shoot, kill Jordanian soldier, injure another in skirmish just inside W. Bank [IDF 8/19 in FBIS 8/20; NYT, LAT, MEM 8/20; MET 8/28].

Military Action:

First PLO units to be evacuated to Syria publicly welcomed in Tartus (Israeli claim that overland evacuation "postponed" at Syrian request denied in Damascus); IDF tanks head north from Beirut; PLO, Syrians fortify positions in Bekaa; two PLO groups leave Beirut for Syria, Sudan following massive public farewells (PLO overland evacuation to Syria postponed again, for "technical reasons"); Sharon allows Syrians to send trucks to remove heavy vehicles from Beirut; US Marines land at Beirut and US officer meets with PLO leadership to discuss guarding port area; IDF forces "thinned" near Beirut.

Casualties: 1 IDF soldier dies after being shot by sniper in Galerie Semaan (333rd IDF soldier killed); mine kills 4 Lebanese villagers near Jouayeh; Bekaa front quiet; 9 civilians killed, 27 wounded accidentally in farewell fusillades by LNM forces.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Temritories: Sharon meets with West Bank Village League heads concerning their participation in "autonomy" talks (later states opposition to Palestinian state because "it already exists" in Jordan); grenade hurled at IDF vehicle in Gaza Strip (fourth such incident in Occupied Territories in one week); Union of Palestinian Women's Committees from West Bank visit Palestinian and Lebanese victims of Israeli invasion in Haifa hospitals; Begin calls for resumption of autonomy talks with Egypt, claims "war" with PLO in West Beirut over; government announces 7 more settlements planned for West Bank, Golan Heights; Sharon says he expects Lebanon to sign peace treaty with Israel; Peres calls for establishment of commission of inquiry to examine government conduct of Lebanese war.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: Opposition to Gemayel presidency among Lebanese Muslims remains strong.

Arab Govemments: Syria warns Gemayel against signing peace treaty with Israel; Saudi Prince Saud meets Assad in Damascus (Saudis reportedly involved in negotiations with US on withdrawal of forces from Lebanon); Saudi King Fahd donates $500 m. to repair damage to Sidon.

US and Other Countries: Habib, in Tel Aviv, asks Sharon to allow French soldiers to safeguard section of Beirut-Damascus road during evacuation and to restrain Phalange attacks; 3 US congressmen meet Begin in Israel; Reagan assures Congress of Marines' noncombat role in Lebanon in notification required under War Powers Act.