The Palestine Chronology

In the West Bank, the IDF sends undercover units into Azun in a car with Palestinian license plates, surrounds a home, arrests 1 PSF mbr. who surrenders; conducts random ID checks in, fires on residential areas of Kafr Dan nr. Jenin; conducts arrest raids, house searches in and around Jenin and Nablus, in Dahaysha r.c., nr. Bethlehem, Hebron; burns 70 d. of agricultural land btwn. the separation wall and the Green Line nr. Tulkarm (see 8/5). In Ramallah, 7 Palestinians working in the PC building are taken to the hospital with breathing difficulties after opening a suspicious letter addressed to PM Haniyeh; the building is evacuated. The PA head of military intelligence for n. Gaza dies of injuries received in an ambush in Jabaliya r.c. on 8/6; no group claims responsibility. (AP 8/7; WP 8/8; OCHA 8/9; PCHR 8/10)

Overnight, the IDF destroys the last remaining bridge over the Litani River linking n. and s. Lebanon; this cuts off access to Tyre. The IDF announces a 10:00 P.M. curfew on Tyre, saying that any movement there after dark and any vehicular traffic s. of the Litani River at any time will henceforth be considered Hizballah activity and a legitimate target. As UN mbrs. narrow differences on a cease-fire res., Olmert’s security cabinet discusses speeding up the IDF’s advance to the Litani River, escalating attacks on Lebanon’s civilian infrastructure. During the day, the IDF continues heavy air, artillery strikes on some 150 targets across Lebanon, hitting s. Beirut (including 47 killed, 70 wounded in the Christian-Shi‘i suburb of al-Shiyah, where Shi‘a are pro-Amal), the Biqa‘ Valley (including Baalbek, Masnaa), in and around Nabatiyya (including 7 civilians killed in air strikes on cars traveling in Qasmiyya; 15 killed, 20 wounded in an air strike on an apartment building in Ghaziyya), and across s. Lebanon (including demolishing a 4-building apartment complex in Tyre), killing at least 69 Lebanese civilians; continues ground operations across s. Lebanon that leave 3 IDF soldiers dead, 7 wounded in Bint Jubayl and include heavy fighting in Hula (the IDF claims to kill at least 15 Hizballah mbrs.); downs an unmanned Hizballah drone off the s. Lebanon coast. Hizballah fires 130 rockets into n. Israel, injuring 10 Israelis, hitting targets in Acre, Carmiel, Kiryat Shimona (70 rockets), Ma’alot, Nahariya, Safad. The ICRC says that the IDF has barred humanitarian aid missions to the south for 3 days. (BBC, NYT, WP 8/7; BBC, NYT, WP, WT 8/8; WP, WT 8/9; WP 8/10)

Military Action:

Artillery duels between Christian and Druse militias continue in Chouf, shells fall in Beirut suburbs; Lebanese Army surrounds Wadi Abu Jamil quarter in West Beirut where yesterday's fighting occurred.

Casualties:

General strike by Shi'ite Muslims to protest yesterday's actions by Lebanese Army closes shops in Beirut, shuts down Tyre, Baalbek and many villages; 1 man killed in Tyre when IDF fires warning shots to disperse demonstration; 13 wounded in Chouf.

Political Responses:

US and Other Countries: Shultz meets with Lebanese foreign minister to discuss new diplomatic initiatives on troop withdrawal, further meetings scheduled next week in advance of Gemayel visit.

Military Action:

Lebanon formally asks three nations to send more troops.

Casualties:

IDF soldier dies of wounds from Tyre building collapse; Wazzan promises to investigate raid on Palestinian-run hospital, says it won't happen again (drugs taken now estimated at $500-650,000 in value).

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: Palestinian survivors of massacre testify before Commission; Shamir, accompanied by high-ranking officers and industrialists, arrives in Zaire in first official visit to Black Africa since 1973 war; Defense Ministry senior adviser Tamir to present Mobutu with overall strategic plan for Zaire drafted by Israelis at Zaire's request; Labor and Likud Knesset members criticize Cabinet approval of IS 16.5 b. supplementary budget (9.3 b. to help pay for Lebanon war); protests in West Bank on 35th anniversary of UN partition resolution, Israeli policeman injured by stones in Ramallah after reinforced security forces try to restore order, curfew imposed on Deheisha refugee camp and Nablus market, tear gas fired to disperse crowds, schools close early; pro-PLO nationalist slate ousts Moslem Brothers in student elections at al-Najah University in Nablus; about 100 foreign lecturers teaching at West Bank universities decide to continue to refuse to sign anti-PLO pledge in new permit form; head of Village Leagues Duddin meets Sharon before both travel to US on separate visits.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: Lebanon's military prosecutor-general orders arrest of nine, including Hussein Mussawi, pro-Iranian leader of Baalbek's Shiites, accused of Islamic raids in Baalbek nine days ago; Wazzan, after meeting with Gemayel, urges US to increase pressures on Israel to withdraw.

Arab Governments: Mubarak and Habib issue joint statement calling for Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon, urging Jordanian and Palestinian inclusion in Mideast peace talks; Habib leaves for Morocco for talks with King Hassan and Saudi King Fahd; Egyptian Foreign Minister Hassan Ali says US sent message to PLO through Cairo saying PLO recognition of Israel would enable US to deal with PLO; semi-official al-Ahram criticizes PLO rejection of Reagan plan.

US and Other Countries: US State Department asserts PLO Central Council did not reject Reagan plan.

Military Action:

Several hundred Lebanese Shiite followers of Hussein Mousavi (who broke from Amal organization headed by Nabih Berri) storm Baalbek's town hall, and take over city, say immediate purpose is to prevent celebration of Independence Day and denounce Gemayel administration; later leave city hall but retain control of and rename central square after Khomeini, set up checkpoints, express support for Islamic state similar to Iran; Chouf area tense but calm.

Casualties:

Israeli military commission report, approved by Cabinet, says Tyre building collapse was accident caused by unexplained leaking of bottled gas on first floor of building and faulty construction, although original Army report had cited booby-trapped car as cause.

Political Responses:

IsraeL/ Occupied Territories: Defense Ministry drops demand that foreigners teaching in Occupied Territories sign anti-PLO "loyalty pledge" (instead, will issue one-year work permits to be withdrawn if holder "gives aid or support to the PLO or any other hostile organization"); Molotov cocktail thrown at Israeli fuel tank in Jenin; 21 Palestinians arrested after bomb blast near railway station north of Tel Aviv wounds one IDF soldier; Bruce Kashdan, foreign ministry representative in Beirut, tells Commission of Inquiry that US envoy Draper had warned him Friday, September 17, of "horrible results" if Phalange forces entered West Beirut, that he received a second call from Draper at 10 AM Saturday, September 18, telling him a massacre had occurred at Shatila and Sabra camps and asking a message be passed to Sharon that "You must stop the massacres. They are obscene. I have an officer in the camp counting the bodies. You ought to be ashamed. This situation is rotten and terrible. They are killing children. You are in absolute control of the area and therefore responsible for that area," that Draper's second call was first information about massacre and that he passed information on to Sharon's office, that the IDF claimed Phalange entered camps from north and not through IDF lines, that he passed his and Draper's reports to Ariel Kenet and David Kimche; Lt. Col. Azriel Nevo, Begin's military secretary, denies having received call from Hanan Bar-On on Friday evening, backing up Begin's assertion of no knowledge of massacre until late Saturday; Agriculture Minister Aharon Uzan, in interview, says he favors unilateral iDF withdrawal from Chouf and to 30-mile line from border (follows similar position adopted last week by Energy Minister Modai); Cabinet sources reaffirm these as minority views, claim they undermine Israel's negotiating stance.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: PLO official Ahmed Sidki Dajani, after meeting with Egyptian Foreign Minister Hassan Ali, who gives conditional approval for first visit in five years, says Arafat plans to visit Egypt in near future; Gemayel, in address to soldiers on eve of Independence Day, calls for vigilance toward dangers of dissidence; Saeb Salam meets Habib to discuss withdrawal of foreign forces; Jumblatt meets Habib to discuss increasing violence in Chouf.

Arab Governments: Syrian Information Minister Iskandar says Syrian forces will not withdraw until after last IDF soldier does.

US and Other Countries: Pentagon team, headed by Andrew Marshall, Defense Department's Director of Assessment, arrives in Tel Aviv to meet with Sharon, Eitan and other senior officers to finalize agreement on sharing information, evaluating performance of US/USSR weapons and lessons gained from Israeli invasion of Lebanon.

Military Action:

IDF shelling and blockade maintained for fifth day as negotiations deadlocked; water and electricity are partially restored; IDF artillery and gunboats blast Palestinian neighborhoods, setting fires, with high casualties (other non-Palestinian areas hit); evening gunner duels mark IDF attempts to advance; IDF officers say IDF broke fifth cease-fire in retaliation for deaths of 5 IDF soldiers the night before; shells fall on US Ambassador's residence in Yarze; IDF shell hits nylon factory, igniting long fire and explosions; Israeli jets zoom over Beirut.

Casualties:

Beirut police estimate 22 killed, 38 wounded in the night (Beirut casualties now 2633 killed, 3612 wounded); appeals made for blood; 2 IDF soldiers found killed (armored personnel carrier hit near Tyre); even after water turned on again in West Beirut, so much of the pipeline is damaged, many residents still must get water in pails; one 23-ton shipment of foodstuffs by World Vision allowed in (no explanation of why others kept out); some Palestinians being allowed to return to camps in the south (mostly women and children, most men are in detention); 7000 new refugees reportedly have fled to Baalbek; 25-30,000 Shiites reportedly returning to Nabatiyeh area; water is still problem in South Lebanon (IDF destroyed water pumping station serving 120 villages in Tyre area, repairs to take 3 months); in Beirut, despite 5 centers for potable water distribution set up by UN, problem is dwindling gasoline for water trucks; IDF damage to Zahrani refinery will take 3 months to repair; ICRC estimates needs for next 3 months at $18 million, says 75 doctors/medical technicians have arrived to aid Lebanese Red Cross (LRC) and Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS); doctors say they are dealing with injuries hitherto unseen (dead to wounded ratio normally 1-5, now 50-50).

PLO displays to reporters extensive IDF anti-personnel weapons, most with US markings, including cluster bombs, canisters of hydrogen cyanide used against Syrians and in Burj al-Barajneh camp and neighborhood (other weapons used in Sabra and Shatila camps and Shia suburb of Ouzai); displayed also is slab of nougat with Hebrew markings, part of car bomb found in Beirut port area.

Israeli Cabinet spokesman Meridor says 331 Lebanese civilians killed, says IDF told him 1200 PLO "terrorists" and civilians killed in fighting in refugee camps (claims not much international aid needed, that international bodies agree with Israeli government figures, that Israeli ambulances sent to help wounded have come back to Israel as not needed); detention camps set up by IDF in southern Lebanon (fences, guard towers, earth embankments at Ansar, west of Nabatiyeh); Meridor says detainees will be treated as criminals, not POWs.

UN High Commission for Refugees, in Vienna, says IDF invasion has set back work in Lebanon by 32 years, destroying schools, camps, warehouses, clinics, leaving 175,000 of 237,000 registered refugees in urgent need of aid.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: Cabinet hints PLO might be allowed to stay in Tripoli; government accepts only 7 of 9 points of reported US plan; Cabinet allows more time for negotiations; aide to Begin insists all PLO members must leave Beirut; Cabinet hears report from Sharon; Abba Eban disagrees with government rejection of political role for PLO; Kimche meets with Habib, who then calls Wazzan to contact Arafat; Mayor of Gaza warned that he and other elected town council members may be dismissed if they continue to refuse to cooperate with Israeli civil administration; IDF soldiers surround Bir Zeit campus, use tear gas, arrest 100 students in fourth day of protests against invasion.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: Habib informs Wazzan that US will not send US Marines until PLO leaves Beirut (Wazzan reported shocked, asks what good are troops at that point); PLO still insisting on some political presence in Beirut, armed units attached to Lebanese Army; Lebanese landowners who rented to Palestinians after 1948 are asking IDF governor of Sidon to evict Palestinians; in Tyre, Lebanese landowners are evicting Palestinian residents, forcing them to live on beaches, in groves.

US and Other Countries: US fears troops may get caught in crossfire and changes plan not to allow Marines to be sent until after PLO evacuates; US Congressional resistance to use of US troops grows; Jewish Affairs magazine issues public statement demanding removal of IDF troops, ending of US aid to Israel; US position reportedly is no PLO troops should remain, but political/informational office is OK; USSR warns US against military intervention in Lebanon; Pakistan president sends telegrams to Reagan, other members of the UN Security Council asking them to force IDF to withdraw; Turkey calls for IDF withdrawal, but reportedly cooperates with Israel on captured Turks and Armenians fighting with the PLO.

UN: UN Secretary General says UN must rethink "peacekeeping" role in wake of IDF invasion (and Cyprus incident several years ago).