The Palestine Chronology

Military Action:

Bitter clashes and artillery duels in Chouf, 11 towns/villages bombed, Phalange reports fires burning out of control; IDF closes nearby Beirut-Damascus road, refuses Lebanese Army command that IDF disarm both factions; IDF, Druze and Phalange militias agree to conduct joint patrols, and a Druze- Phalange committee will meet weekly or when necessary to resolve disputes in Aley; gunbattles continue in Tripoli; US Marines begin training special unit of Lebanese Army; IDF jeep hits mine near Ain Ata near Hasbaya.

Casualties:

25 killed in 24 hours in Chouf; 10 killed, 30 wounded in Tripoli; 1 IDF soldier wounded in jeep; UNRWA opens first tent in Ain el-Hilweh to use as classroom; Lebanese merchants complain that Israeli merchants are misleading them, demanding 100 percent down payments, etc.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: Israel rejects shuttle diplomacy proposal; Commission will end staff questioning of witnesses this week; Shamir arrives in Argentina, says he will raise human rights-related issues; Israel withholding information about military lessons of the war until US agrees to seek Israeli approval before sharing with NATO, to allow Israeli expert to observe any tests and share American conclusions with Israel (agreement on sharing information on Soviet weapons performance initialed November 25 but still without Weinberger signature); IDF soldier charged with illegal use of weapon when he shot demonstrators in Halhoul; Israeli Druze decide against anti-IDF strike to protest IDF policy in Chouf.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: Lebanese Foreign Minister Elie Salem, in Washington, says Israel is prime source of continuing tension in Lebanon, suggests all "illegal" Palestinians should leave Lebanon, warns of renewed fighting unless foreign troops withdraw within next four weeks, seeks US support for expanding number of peacekeeping force; Amal militia threatens "bloodbath" if kidnapped commander, Yakub Daher, is harmed.

Arab Governments: Mubarak begins tour of Europe to push for peace process.

US and Other Countries: Shultz meets Pope and Mubarak, discusses Lebanon; France says it is willing to increase Beirut troops

Military Action:

Lebanese police move into buffer zones between battling militias, call cease-fire in Tripoli after four days of fighting; IDF lifts two-day old curfew in Aley, reimposes it after 3 hours as fighting erupts; leader of Shiite Amal militia kidnapped by Phalange.

Casualties:

2 killed, 3 wounded by sniper fire in Aley during curfew break (110 estimated killed in Chouf fighting in past 6 weeks); US-led bomb squads searching for unexploded weapons and munitions have found 250 kinds of explosives from 17 countries.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: Sharon says only 479 killed in massacre (only 20 children, 15 women), contradicting his own Commission testimony; Ezer Weizman may head new center party.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: Lebanese Foreign Minister Elie Salem leaves Britain without firm commitment on troop expansion but is "satisfied."

US and Other Countries: India refuses visas for two Israelis to attend international airport chiefs' conference in New Delhi.

UN: General Assembly calls for creation of Palestinian state and Israeli withdrawal from lands seized in 1967 (Israel, US, Canada and Costa Rica vote no, 23 abstentions, 113 vote yes).