The Palestine Chronology

Social/Economic/Political:

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Israeli Cabinet approves "secret instructions" to deal with 42 West Bankers who met recently with Arafat in Amman; Cabinet Sec. Meridor maintains instructions consistent with gov't. policy prohibiting mtgs. between residents of territories and "terrorist leaders." [Israeli leftists meeting Arafat not to be prosecuted; Meridor affirms that laws applying to residents of occupied territories are different.] Gush Etzion Regional Council initiates new settlement Eruvin (near Ain Arube and Arube refugee camp); Palestinian residents protest over 6 dunums of their land expropriated for road to settlement.

Military Action:

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Masked Israeli men ambush bus carrying 60 laborers and students from al-Mizra'a al-Sharqiya to Jerusalem, injuring 7; Shlomo Ben-Yosef Brigade of "TNT" claims responsibility.

Arab World: 15 IDF soldiers wounded, 1 Lebanese civilian killed in explosions at Sidon port; IDF closes area. 4 Israelis wounded in bazooka attack on personnel carrier at Baalul near Karoun Lake.

Military Action:

Lebanese Army resumes searches in West Beirut; IDF and PLO exchange fire in eastern Bekaa near Yanta; Phalange (Damour Brigade) shells 5 Druze villages throughout day as fighting spreads southeast of Beirut; two IDF APCs come under fire; Lebanese Information Minister Shikhani announces Lebanese Army will move into area Thursday; electricity to capital cut to 8 hours after cable severed in fighting; Wazzan orders security police into area to stop fighting; Phalange turns back reporters trying to enter area; US Ambassador Dillon and Wazzan meet Druze leaders; Phalange militia notifies government it will refuse to turn weapons over to Lebanese Army (nominally under Amin Gemayel's command); IDF stops the fighting in late evening.

Casualties:

Pattern of violation of Palestinian human rights, including mistreatment at detention centers, beatings, crowded cells with no toilet facilities, denied food, meets with no action from relief agencies; 27 detained, total number of detainees estimated at 1,000 to 4,500; Israeli and foreign journalists protest new Army order barring them from driving Israeli vehicles in Lebanon without army jeep escort as IDF also refusing to provide escorts; Israel reverses standing policy, says it will actively seek housing and protection for Palestinian refugees in South Lebanon this winter; at least 3 deaths in Phalange-Druze fighting; Lebanese Government estimates almost 2,000 killed in Sabra and Shatila massacre (762 bodies recovered and 1,200 taken away by families for burial, 212 unidentified, buried in mass grave); only 37 percent were Palestinian, most were Lebanese, a few from other Arab countries; Israeli Minister Meridor says 600 detainees have been released from al-Ansar.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: Israel demands security role for Haddad and written Lebanese guarantee of security zone in South Lebanon as condition for withdrawal; Begin orders protection for Lebanese Druze; Ambassador Arens presents Shultz with Israeli request for $3.2 billion for FY 1984 (currently receiving $2.2 billion); Begin postpones visit to Zaire; Peace Now refuses to testify before independent inquiry linked to Israel League for Civil and Human Rights, says it singles out Israel.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: Franjieh reportedly called Gemayel last week to pledge support; Camille Chamoun, in private US visit, calls treaty with Israel impossible now, criticizes lack of expereince and prestige of new Cabinet named by Wazzan.

Arab Governments: Mubarak says autonomy talks at dead end because of Israeli obstruction, following 2 day meeting with Numeiri.

US and Other Countries: 100 picket Shamir in Chicago; Vatican says Arafat renounced terrorism during visit with Pope.

Military Action:

IDF concentrates tanks near Museum, Galerie Semaan, port crossings into West Beirut as armor inches closer to Palestinian refugee camps on southern outskirts of city (PLO accuses IDF of breaking cease-fire with tank movements made under cover of artillery fire; entire IDF armored brigade stationed at Museum crossing; IDF exchange artillery fire with PLO units in Burj al-Barajneh, Lailake, Hayy al-Sollom); IDF commander Drori warns West Beirut residents to "leave before it is too late"; fears of all-out IDF assault rise as IDF stops work in port, orders dockers to go home (reports suggest IDF may try to cut PLO forces in two with thrust from Museum area to port area); IDF takes Mreigi, parts of Hayy al-Sollom; only 50 yards separate IDF/ PLO units along coastal road south of city; IDF asks ICRC to sponsor, assist evacuation of babies, pregnant women from West Beirut (Meridor says Israel has received no reply); PLO fires 5 rockets at Jounieh; PLO ambush near Litani River; light fire directed at IDF positions near Lake Karoun (IDF restricts movements of Mansoura villagers, claiming some cooperate with PLO).

Casualties:

Casualties estimated by Lebanese police at 238 dead, about 480 wounded (PLO says only 20-30 guerrillas killed; police-monitored death toll since June 4 now put at 3,541 for Beirut and 11,050 for all of Lebanon); Lebanese gendarmerie says 963 Palestinians and Lebanese killed, 2,013 wounded during July, most of them civilians; Fakhani area devastated; poor Palestinians, Lebanese unable to buy excessively-priced food; fuel running low; Berbir Hospital hit again (has lost 75 percent of staff); fires burn out of control; hospitals overcrowded (staff asks patients able to walk to leave right after being treated to make room; many linger as they have no homes to return to); most streets impassable; IDF claims 7,400 "terrorists" captured since start of war (ICRC says it has visited only 490 at Ansar camp); 2 IDF soldiers wounded in PLO ambush near Litani.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: Israeli officials assert PLO will only leave Beirut if military pressure applied; Begin meets with US Assistant Secretary of State Morris Draper to discuss progress of negotiations (after meeting, Israeli officials claim there is still no firm PLO commitment to evacuate Beirut); Meridor (Israeli official in charge of humanitarian programs in southern Lebanon) says Israel will object to any Palestinian refugee camps within 25 miles of the Israeli border, suggests Palestinian refugees be dispersed throughout the country; Israel delays acceptance of UN resolution on cease-fire observers (PLO states willingness to cooperate).

Palestinians/ Lebanese: Habib confers with Sarkis, later with Lebanese general on withdrawal timetable, general later confers with PLO negotiator; Salam expresses anger at US, Reagan after touring damaged areas, decries IDF use of phosphorus bombs, destruction of pine forest in center of city; Jumblatt, touring Fakhani district, expresses fear Lebanon will be destroyed; PLO leader Hassan says PLO will leave Beirut, urges informal PLO-US dialogue to achieve overall peaceful settlement.

US and Other Countries: Reagan, in meeting with Shamir, bids Israel end fighting and allow food and medical supplies into Beirut; Shultz also meets with Shamir; Greece offers Arafat open invitation to live in Greece on temporary basis; Canadian ambassador to Beirut ordered to leave West Beirut by his government (last Western diplomat remaining in Beirut); Brezhnev sends personal message urging Reagan to halt Israeli attacks.

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).