6 hours of shelling in Chouf spill over into Beirut suburbs, IDF fires at Druze positions, cease-fire in effect at 0800; Lebanese Forces blockade Aley, Druze forces in...
IDF and Syrian Army exchange fire in Beqaa; heavy fighting between PLO factions, and between Lebanese Army and Palestinian forces of Col. Said Musa near Army's Baalbek base...
Sectarian fighting at Khalde, near airport, sends bullets near US Marines; fighting, including heavy artillery and rocket shelling, around Shuweifat, Aramoun, Bhamdoun; IDF...
Israelis move troops experienced in street fighting into hills around West Beirut; IDF artillery repeatedly shells Syrian positions near Hammana.
Casualties:
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Casualties:
300 Christians in Beirut demonstrate at presidential palace against continued siege of Deir al-QRmar by Druze militia.
Political Responses:
Palestinians/ Lebanese: Jumblatt announces formation of civilian administration in Chouf and Aley areas under Druze control.
Military Action:
6 hours of shelling in Chouf spill over into Beirut suburbs, IDF fires at Druze positions, cease-fire in effect at 0800; Lebanese Forces blockade Aley, Druze forces in Hammana surround Lebanese Army barracks; roads cut between Christian and Druze villages in Chouf; 2 Katyushas fired at IDF position north of Tyre.
Casualties:
6 killed, at least 21 wounded in Beirut suburbs; IDF kills 1 guerrilla north of Tyre; Israeli press reports IDF is losing control over Ansar, tanks and artillery needed to guard soldiers entering camp for daily head count.
Political Responses:
Israel/ Occupied Territories: Liberian President Doe begins 4-day visit to Israel, first by African head of state since 1972; Arens meets three West Bank and Gaza political leaders in Tel Aviv.
Palestinians/ Lebanese: PFLP-GC commandos supporting Arafat take over training post at Bedawi refugee camp in northern Lebanon after battle with opposing PFLP-GC faction.
Military Action:
Druze and Christian militias fight artillery battles in Chouf and Aley mountains.
Casualties:
Airport remains closed, hundreds of Beirut residents seek passage by sea to Cyprus.
Military Action:
IDF and Syrian Army exchange fire in Beqaa; heavy fighting between PLO factions, and between Lebanese Army and Palestinian forces of Col. Said Musa near Army's Baalbek base, Syrians intervene; IDF surrounds, occupies Phalangist barracks at Kfar Falus, east of Sidon, in effort to evict militiamen.
Casualties:
1 IDF officer killed by Syrian fire; 2 killed, 8 wounded in Baalbek fighting; Christian and Druze militias permit convoys of food and medicine to reach Chouf towns of Bhamdoun and Aley, blockaded for past 35 days; bombs explode in 5 shops selling Israeli goods in Ain al-Hilweh camp; IDF releases following statistics on effect of redeployment: it is withdrawing from 600 of 3,400 sq. km. it now holds, 200,000 of the 750,00 civilians in this total area will come under control of Beirut, IDF frontline will be reduced from 118 to 113 km; more than 100 Palestinian and Lebanese women at Prime Minister's office demand intervention to secure release of men presumably kidnapped by Phalangists at time of Sabra and Shatila massacre.
Political Responses:
Israel/ Occupied Territories: 2 Birzeit students sentenced to 18 months imprisonment for participating in last week's demonstration over killing of Hebron students; IDF imposes curfew on Tulkarm-Nablus road after settlers wounded by shots near Anabta.
Palestinians/ Lebanese: Arafat asks OAU and Nonaligned Movement to intervene against Syrian and Libyan attacks on PLO; McFarlane meets Gemayel, then flies to Israel.
UN: US vetoes, Zaire abstains, 13 states support Security Council resolution that Israeli settlements in occupied lands have no legal validity and constitute major and serious obstruction to peace.
Military Action:
Sectarian fighting at Khalde, near airport, sends bullets near US Marines; fighting, including heavy artillery and rocket shelling, around Shuweifat, Aramoun, Bhamdoun; IDF ambushed near Aley with bazooka and light arms fire; President Gemayel makes surprise Christmas visit to US, French and Italian troops to thank them for playing stabilizing role.
Casualties:
3 wounded at Khalde and in mountains; bullet-riddled bodies of 4 Druze young men found near Damour; 2 IDF soldiers wounded near Aley (1 later dies).
Political Responses:
Palestinians/ Lebanese: Wazzan, the Gemayel, confer with Draper on withdrawal efforts as first meeting of negotiators is set for Wednesday in Khalde; Lebanese official again claims IDF is provoking Christian-Druze clashes to delay talks and prolong occupation.
Military Action:
Israelis move troops experienced in street fighting into hills around West Beirut; IDF artillery repeatedly shells Syrian positions near Hammana.
Casualties:
Hundreds live in Beirut parks, lacking food, water, medicine and basic hygiene; garbage piles up in West Beirut streets (most trucks are in East Beirut); more shops close throughout city as fear of IDF attack grows; Baalbek now has 35,000 refugees; Palestinian refugees reportedly receive less aid than Lebanese; Israeli unsubsidized prices for sales to Lebanon about 3 times Lebanese prices.
Political Responses:
Israel/ Occupied Territories: Former head of Israeli military intelligence, in US, says casualty figures inflated; Israeli Knesset debate ends with Likud/Labor parties agreeing not to vote against each other's resolutions, only to vote for their own; Begin offers to let PLO leave with personal weapons (claims Reagan said USSR might intervene if there were a war with Syria); Sharon says he informed Haig, Weinberger that IDF invasion of Lebanon was virtually inevitable 2 weeks before actual invasion; Sharon announces 271 Israelis killed, 1470 wounded, 13 missing; government charges UN schools used by PLO for training, as arsenals; reports that IDF used new anti-tank weapon similar to US Sadarm; Sharon speaks at Knesset on scope/aims of war (Peres strongly opposes any entry into Beirut); government officials accuse Habib of false optimism; Israeli Cabinet ratifies June 27 ultimatum, but softens departure possibilities (by land or sea); 4 reservists call on Sharon to resign, call on other released soldiers to join their vigil; 600 demonstrate in favor of war; 30 protest effect of war on the poor in Israel; petition with signatures of 40 who fought in Lebanon printed opposing war; Supreme Islamic Council of Jerusalem states support for PLO, denounces silence of Arab regimes.
Palestinians/ Lebanese: Habib meets with Wazzan, Butros; Lebanese disagree on whether PLO leaders can return to Lebanon to visit; Lebanese papers attack USSR, accusing it of complicity with US; Druze leader Jumblatt expects attack on Beirut within 24- 36 hours, predicts coexistence of Muslims, Christians in Lebanon is finished; Bashir Gemayel predicts Israel and Syria will have full-scale war; reports of de facto strike in Sidon area following Israeli mistreatment; Phalangists reject plan to incorporate PLO units into Lebanese Army, Phalangist troops enter Aley, threaten to kill 12 Druze (Druze leader is killed by Phalange members, allegedly mistakenly); PLO stiffens demands as talks deadlocked over timing and method of PLO withdrawal (PLO seeks own police in refugee camps, PLO units attached to Lebanese Army); Arafat addresses PLO rally; Fateh Central Committee reportedly says no more concessions.
Arab Governments: Saudi Arabia reportedly explores flying PLO out of Lebanon; Egypt sends Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ghali to Paris for talks.
US and Other Countries: US expressed satisfaction with cease-fire; former US envoy to Lebanon, Dean Brown, says US blessed IDF invasion, that Reagan does not know much about the Mideast and "probably does not want to know"; EEC calls for PLO to be involved in peace negotiations, asks immediate IDF withdrawal (arms sales informally suspended to Israel); Austrian Jewish group presents open letter to Israeli Ambassador decrying invasion, asking for peace negotiations with Palestinians; International Socialist delegation, headed by former Portuguese prime minister Soares, visits mayor of Bethlehem; EEC refuses to sign £22 million financial protocol with Israel (does not agree on trade sanctions); Habib requests formal guidance from Washington for negotiations, Haig drafts 9-point proposal in response.
