The Palestine Chronology

Military Action:

Car bomb explodes in Druze town of Aramoun; Phalange militia occupies Lebanese Army barracks in Beit Eddin and Deir al-Qamar; IDF vehicle fired on near Nabatiyeh.

Casualties:

One killed, 4 wounded in Aramoun, brings to over 50 total killed in Chouf incidents in past two weeks; Tyre curfew lifted and road to Israeli border reopened; PLO protests to ICRC over treatment of prisoners in South Lebanon detention camps.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: Begin's 62-year old wife dies and Begin leaves US for Israel to begin 30-day mourning period, postponing indefinitely meeting with Reagan; 47 Israeli victims of Tyre explosion buried; General Meir Zorea, head of military inquiry, reports to Cabinet that explosion not caused by a bomb, and Energy Minister Modai says it was probably caused by leaking cooking gas; Deputy Prime Minister Ehrlich chairs Cabinet meeting devoted to mourning Aliza Begin and Tyre victims; Shamir reports on meetings with Draper and lack of Lebanese response to Israeli proposals on format/ content of proposed talks; Modai proposes IDF unilaterally withdraw from parts of Lebanon to get talks going and to test Syrian/Lebanese intentions; al-Hamishmar demands withdrawal of IDF from Lebanon and resignation of Sharon in wake of Tyre disaster; IDF source indicates Defense Ministry postponed plans to raze abandoned Ein Sultan refugee camp north of Jericho on night following Beirut massacres (razing reportedly related to efforts to build more Jewish settlements in area); three Nahal settlements of Elisha, Beit Arava, Tzurif currently being "civilianized"; at Commission of Inquiry, senior IDF officer and Eitan aide Ze'ev Zecharin contradicts Sharon and Begin, says Sharon spoke of Phalange entry into camps September 14 (not September 15 as Sharon asserted), says Eitan told him Saturday morning, September 18, that Begin had requested information on Gaza Hospital in Sabra camp (denied by Begin), says Eitan instructed IDF to restrict artillery support to minimize civilian casualties, to impose a curfew on all areas of Lebanon under IDF control, to ask Phalange to mobilize forces to take camps regardless of timing of IDF advance into West Beirut, says Eitan flew to Beirut Wednesday, September 17, to detail IDF plans to Phalange but Phalange asked for 24-hour delay to get organized, and agreed that Mossad officer not IDF would act as liaison with Phalange, says Sharon ordered Phalange to enter camps after Wednesday morning arrival at IDF Beirut divisional command post, says no Phalange irregularities raised and no questions asked in Eitan's meeting with Phalange commanders Friday afternoon, says Phalange, during Sunday morning meeting with Eitan, admitted killing civilians but said "We won't go with this to the media, that we did it, because it will hurt us in the Presidential elections"; Zecharin's testimony curtailed at IDF request after contradiction with Dudai testimony highlighted; Foreign Ministry official Ariel Kenet testifies that two inquiries from ministry's Beirut representative Friday afternoon noted US envoy Draper's concern at seeing Phalange inside camps and Lebanese Prime Minister Wazzan's report of patients being killed at Gaza Hospital, asserts he alerted David Kimche, who instructed him to notify Defense Ministry.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: PLO Executive Committee member Hanna Nassir says Palestine National Council meeting may not occur before January; Arafat attends Brezhnev funeral in Moscow; Amin Gemayel and Wazzan arrive in Riyadh for 2 days of talks with King Fahd, seeking Saudi help in rebuilding Lebanon, support for withdrawal of PLO and Syrian forces; Wazzan, before departing, says Lebanon wants Israel out of Lebanon, is uninterested in direct negotiations.

US and Other Countries: Reagan phones condolences to Begin; State Department indicates it hopes Israel will not retaliate for Tyre explosion; fears raised that Begin's return to Israel is setback for Reagan peace plan.

UN: UNRWA says by next June, $43.4 million will have been spent on emergency aid to Lebanon but only $31 million has been raised to date.

Military Action:

Renewed fighting between Phalange and Druze villagers in Chouf, and spate of kidnappings following battles in and near Aley, raise tensions before release of about 50 from each side eases situation; Syrian missile fired at IDF positions in Bekaa.

Casualties:

Mother and three sons killed when bomb demolishes house in Muslim area of Haret Hreik; several tents put up in Ain el-Hilweh are found slashed, only 5 families have moved into tents, and children stone UNRWA workers and Border Police patrol; small Cyprus freighter is first ship to enter Tyre harbor since June 6; hundreds of Ansar detainees riot to protest inadequate protection against winter weather, guards fire in air to stop protest; IDF plans to investigate irregularities in issuing permits to Israeli Palestinians to visit Lebanese relatives (some permits sold to Lebanese Palestinians).

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: IDF Beirut commander Amos Yaron tells Commission of Inquiry that he heard of civilian killings T1hursday, talked to Drori, but only knew full extent of killings Monday, that Phalange were allowed to replenish ammunition and rotate troops, contradicting earlier Sharon testimony, that he thought most civilians had fled area, and that Eitan praised Phalange performance in extending their stay in the camps and that they were withdrawn September 18 due to US pressure; 7 IDF soldiers go on trial for assaulting Palestinians on the West Bank; Israeli Cabinet rejects US criticism of settlement policy, pledges to continue policy, Begin asks Arens to formally protest US statements; Labor Party leader Peres urges Begin to move toward negotiations on basis of Reagan plan, but rejects Shunui Party call for end to all settlement activity; 1 Palestinian killed, 4 wounded in attack on Israeli army vehicle in Gaza Strip; Hebron mayor asks for UN intervention to halt destruction of Arab homes and establishment of old Jewish quarter in central Hebron.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: Lebanese Government asks Britain, South Korea, Sweden and the Netherlands to contribute troops to peace-keeping force.

Arab Governments: Egyptian Foreign Minister Hassan Ali says Egypt is trying to arrange a dialogue between the PLO and US and to ensure PLO participation in new peace talks.

Military Action:

Arafat leaves Beirut by boat after tumultuous departure, farewells to Lebanese Muslim leaders (accompanied to ship by Wazzan, Salam); Syrian troops leave West Beirut, take up new positions in Bekaa; Fathi Arafat welcomes 147 wounded in Greece.

Casualties:

Shootings on rise as evacuation nears end; IDF soldier wounded in mine ambush; traffic heavy in and out of West Beirut; IDF considers delaying release of al-Ansar detainees because of guerrilla attacks in Sidon, Tyre; Egged bus line of Israel plans to open line to Tyre, Sidon, Zaharani river.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: Sharon says occupied territories belong to Israel; Nablus women's associations visit Palestinian and Lebanese wounded in Haifa hospitals; Israeli journalist Uri Avneri interrogated by Israeli police concerning his interview with Arafat (Avneri claims interrogation aimed at silencing opposition to Begin/Sharon policies); IDF soldier Eli Gozansky sentenced to third prison term for refusing to serve in Lebanon (he had previously refused to serve in the occupied territories); 38 percent of Israelis support negotiations with PLO in public poll; pro-Begin group protests war reporting.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: Arafat, before departure, holds press conference at home of Jumblatt (says 5000 killed, 48,000 wounded during invasion; 9,000 arrested, including 106 fighters, among which were wounded soldiers taken from Sidon, Tyre hospitals); 5 Maronites from Kaslik University meet Shamir in Jerusalem, ask US to support Phalange efforts to expel PLO, Syrians; Major Haddad watches evacuation as guest of IDF; PLO officials in Europe release files on Abu Nidal.

Arab Governments: Saudi King Fahd expresses willingness to drop his proposal for Israeli-Arab peace; King Hussein of Jordan visits Saudi Arabia, Iraq as part of Gulf tour; Arab foreign ministers agree on date for Fez summit.

US and Other Countries: State Department denies US proposed to Sharon a "demilitarized Palestinian state" in West Bank/Gaza Strip; Reagan Administration again reflects Israeli assertion that Jordan is a Palestinian state; Weinberger prepares for visit to Lebanon, Israel; poll in UK says majority of Britons support Palestinian rights; Israeli embassy attacked in Tokyo.

Military Action:

Heavy fighting breaks out east of Beirut between Syrian and Phalangist forces following election of Bashir Gemayel as President of Lebanon (artillery and machine gun fire around Kubbeih, Krayeh,. Ras al-Harf near Beirut-Damascus highway); two rockets from West Beirut hit port city of Jounieh; reprisals mount against parliament members who voted for Gemayel presidency (houses and offices of 11 members set afire in West Beirut and Tripoli); fighting between Phalange and PLO/LNM forces; Franjieh forces occupy 3 army positions; Bank of Beirut and Riyadh in West Beirut's Hlamra section blown up, looted overnight; land evacuation of PLO forces delayed because of fighting (500 PLO guerrillas sent to Latakia by ship instead, 600 depart for Yemen); PLO/Lebanese government spokespersons say 2,192 PLO members evacuated to Jordan, Iraq, South Yemen in last 3 days; PLO guerrillas scheduled to leave to Sudan; IDF destroys orchards along Tyre-Sidon road to "prevent PLO attacks"; clashes between IDF and Lebanese villagers northeast of Lake Karoun; new international units arrive in Beirut; Pentagon announces 4 US Marines arrive in Beirut for preliminary inspection, consultations.

Casualties:

3 IDF soldiers buried yesterday; freighter "Lotus" with relief supplies and Egyptian opposition parliament members aboard allowed to land by IDF; first Israeli planes land at Beirut airport; private Israeli airline begins flights to southern Lebanon; IDF begin releasing some of estimated 7,400 Palestinian prisoners held at al-Ansar detention camp.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: Grenade thrown at IDF vehicle in Gaza Strip (no casualties; fourth incident of its kind in occupied territories in a week); Begin, Shimon Peres clash in Knesset debate after Peres condemns IDF advance, cutting off water supplies to Beirut; following Sharon meeting with Draper, Israel agrees to allow US, Italian contingents to take up positions in Beirut immediately rather than waiting until all PLO forces gone; Yitzhak Rabin speaks out against renewing war in northern Lebanon; pamphlets by 3 Arab groups in Nazareth ask Israeli Arabs to support PLO.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: Lebanese Muslims meet at Salam's house, issue statement strongly critical of Gemayel; Gemayel reportedly seeking "mini-Marshall Plan" aid from US to rebuild Lebanon; Gemayel reported by Israeli paper to have met secretly inside Israel with Sharon several times since 1976.

Arab Governments: Tunisia seeks "realistic decisions" on Arab-Israeli peace in statement one day after Bourguiba revives proposal for pan-Arab acceptance of 1947 UN partition plan; Saudi Arabia allocates $2 billion to rebuild Beirut; Egyptian, French officials confer on joint peace initiative.

US and Other Countries: Reagan Administration affirms decision to land Marines in Beirut despite renewed fighting; Shultz invites Sharon to meet Friday during Sharon's fundraising trip to US; Austrian Chancellor Kreisky, in Der Stern article, strongly criticizes Israel.