The Palestine Chronology

Military Action:

IDF has blown up five vehicles suspected of being booby-trapped in past two weeks; Lebanese Army blocks IDF patrol at new checkpoint south of Beirut; IDF Merkava tank hit by RPG fired near Beirut-Damascus highway, Phalange radio attributes attack to Druze militia, says artillery and small arms fire continued for hours; Lebanon reportedly will introduce compulsory military service on April 18.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: David Kimche, head of Israeli delegation to Lebanon negotiations, meets Habib.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: At PNC, 29 new members added to council, of whom 23 are reportedly senior PLO officers loyal to Arafat; Saiqa leader Isam al-Qadi calls for rejection of Reagan plan and struggle to thwart it; smuggling of vegetables from Israel to Lebanon increasing, valued in January at about $300,000; value of Israeli goods sold to Lebanon since invasion estimated at $50 million; in Lebanese-Israeli-US negotiations, Israel agrees to Habib proposal for first-stage withdrawal of frontline forces.

US and Other Countries: Pentagon says it plans to sell Lebanese Army 107 armored troop carriers, .50-caliber machine guns and other equipment valued at about $25 million.

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teaching in Occupied Territories sign anti-PLO "loyalty pledge" (instead, will issue one-year work permits to be withdrawn if holder "gives aid or support to the PLO or any other hostile organization"); Molotov cocktail thrown at Israeli fuel tank in Jenin; 21 Palestinians arrested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:

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:

Several incidents shake cease-fire; small arms fire reported in Beirut area.

Casualties:

Beirut food supplies sufficient but prohibitively expensive for poorer Lebanese and Palestinian refugees; much of fresh produce is from Israel, resold to Lebanese middlemen; Phalangists at checkpoints bribed to let goods through; some vegetable prices have increased 300-400 percent; Baalbek refugee center in eastern Lebanon out of food; 100,000 Lebanese and Palestinians fled to Baalbek area to escape fighting elsewhere in Lebanon; relief supplies being sent by ICRC and other groups from Damascus; polio, measles, and scabies reported in region; IDF reportedly lifts blockade somewhat; ICRC officials scheduled to begin interviewing thousands of detainees at Israel's new Anzal prison; every third house in Rashidiyeh lies in ruins, as journalists allowed in for first time since invasion; 4 PLO members killed near Lake Karoun; 1 IDF soldier wounded near airport.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: David Kimche visits Habib in Beirut for briefing; Begin, at large pro-government rally in Tel Aviv, suggests possible Israeli confederation with Jordan, offers to meet with Hussein after peace treaty with Lebanon signed; Sharon offers temporary asylum to PLO guerrillas who renounce the PLO; Uri Avnery, in US, urges Reagan administration to recognize the PLO.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: Sarkis wants "global and final" resolution to Palestinian issue in Lebanon, opposes temporary regroupment; Bashir Gemayel and Walid Jumblatt meet at presidential palace in effort to revive National Salvation Council, seen by some as part of Gemayel's effort to win Lebanese presidential election; Gemayel meets with Salam and Berri; Gemayel denouces PLO delay in leaving.

Arab Governments: Jumblatt visits Damascus to persuade Syrians to accept PLO evacuees.

US and Other Countries: Meeting of 69 Non- Aligned States' foreign ministers, called at Arafat's request, convenes in Cyprus, urges UN sanctions against Israel, forms peace committee to help resolve crisis.