4 / 15171 Results
  • April 15, 1983

    Military Action:

    PLO orders maximum alert for 8,000 men in Lebanon in expectation of Israeli attack.

    Political Responses:

    Israel/ Occupied Territories: Labor Party leaders...

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  • March 23, 1983

    Military Action:

    IDF tank trucks blocked by burning tires, stones at Aadlun, 12 miles north of Tyre; march in Nabatiyeh, sit down strikes in mosques in several villages to protest arrest of...

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  • September 20, 1982

    Military Action:

    IDF begins pulling out troops from West Beirut under mounting world pressure; thousands of Palestinians flee camps in panic, fearing return of Phalange/Haddad militias to...

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  • July 1, 1982

    Military Action:

    Israeli jets overfly Beirut, making mock bombing raids with flares and smoke bombs; Israeli arming of Phalangists and Haddad forces undermining role of Lebanese Army and...

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Military Action:

PLO orders maximum alert for 8,000 men in Lebanon in expectation of Israeli attack.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: Labor Party leaders Rabin and Peres call on government to cancel Independence Day ceremony dedicating new civilian settlement of Upper Nablus, say it is historic mistake; Habib meets Begin, Arens and Shamir in Jerusalem, reportedly to discuss role of Haddad; Histadrut contracting company Solel Boneh abandons plans for joint construction company with Gush Emunim; Deputy Foreign Minister says Israeli delegation will boycott Warsaw ghetto commemoration if PLO attends.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: Arafat, in Sofia for meetings with Bulgarian officials, says door is still open for talks between PLO and Jordan, efforts are underway to reduce obstacles between the two parties.

Military Action:

IDF tank trucks blocked by burning tires, stones at Aadlun, 12 miles north of Tyre; march in Nabatiyeh, sit down strikes in mosques in several villages to protest arrest of Jibsheet sheikh; Lebanese Army fired on by Phalange in East Beirut; Phalange and Franjieh's Marada Brigades exchange artillery fire in mountains south of Tripoli; Syria and Israel move tank reinforcements to opposing positions along 25-mile cease-fire line.

Casualties:

5 Lebanese women wounded when IDF fires on several hundred demonstrators at Aadlun; 9 women from Lebanon, previously held in Israeli prisons, reportedly transferred to new prison in Nabatiyeh.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: Knesset approves $29 billion budget for fiscal 1983; 2 Arab Labor MKs petition High Court to cancel budget law that excludes Israeli Arabs from welfare benefits paid to large families; ministerial committee established to coordinate government plans for Jerusalem, including relocation of all ministry HQs to the city; IDF surrounds Birzeit University, forces students at gun point to remove anti-Israel slogans on walls, 80 students trapped on campus; construction work begins on 1,350 dunums of land seized from Sharfat village, near Gilo settlement.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: Habib presents Lebanese position to Israeli foreign and defense ministers in Jerusalem, role of Haddad reportedly major obstacle to progress; PLO leader Abu lyad (Salah Khalaf) says annulment of Camp David accords by Egypt is not a condition of restoration of official PLO relations with Egypt.

Arab Governments: Directors of Egyptian national oil company, which supplies 25% of Israel's oil imports, visit Israel, meet energy minister, other officials.

US and Other Countries: Pentagon announces resumption of arms sales to Israel, halted since invasion of Lebanon, 200 Sidewinder missiles worth $16m are first to be delivered.

Military Action:

IDF begins pulling out troops from West Beirut under mounting world pressure; thousands of Palestinians flee camps in panic, fearing return of Phalange/Haddad militias to camps following IDF withdrawal, before Lebanese Army can restore calm; Phalange and Haddad forces sighted setting up own roadblocks in West Beirut.

Casualties:

Red Cross continues to recover bodies, 130 recovered so far, no mass graves opened yet.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: Controversy grows as media report government officials were aware that civilians were being killed in camps 36 hours before they intervened (denied by government officials); Haaretz, Davar, Jerusalem Post, Maariv call for ouster of Sharon and/or Begin, convening of national board of inquiry into Israeli complicity in massacre; Begin's office concedes Cabinet gave advance approval for IDF to allow Phalange/Haddad militias to enter camps last week; Israeli President Navon calls for independent inquiry into the massacre, Begin favors only investigating commission; National Religious Party joins Navon in pressuring Begin to allow a full investigation; Labor, Mapam, Shinui and Peace Now call for mass rally in Tel Aviv on Saturday; Palestinian leaders voice outrage at massacre; Palestinian youth throw stones at Israeli vehicles, set fire to tires in Ramallah and Nablus, police disperse crowds with tear gas and rubber bullets with no casualties; many stores close in protest, are forced open by Israeli soldiers; school openings in occupied territories postponed for two weeks; over 40 representatives of West Bank and Gaza refugees occupy UNRWA Jerusalem office to protest food ration cuts announced Sept. 1, UNRWA Employees' Union joins protest.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: Palestine Central Council ends one-day meeting with statement condemning Israeli role in massacre, blaming Lebanese Army, US, France and Italy, and pledges to avenge killings; Camille Chamoun withdraws from race for Lebanese presidency as it becomes clear Amin Gemayel has votes to win.

Arab Governments: Egypt recalls ambassador to Israel but does not break diplomatic relations; Jordan's King Hussein accuses Israel of responsibility for massacre but urges positive Arab response to Reagan proposals, calls on PLO to join him to draw up federation plan along lines of Reagan proposal; emergency Arab League meeting in Tunis called at request of PLO delayed until tomorrow.

US and Other Counties: Reagan agrees to Lebanese request for return of US Marines, asks Israel to pull out of Beirut; Congress gives troubled support to decision, Weinberger doubts presence of Marines would have prevented massacre; several US Jewish leaders call for inquiry, demand that Israel cut all ties with Christian groups involved in massacre; USSR condemns Israel but blames US for "encouraging" Israel's "criminal aggression," proposes joint US-Soviet action to curb Israel; Indian Prime Minister Gandhi condemns massacre; 10-member European Community condemns massacre, demands Israeli withdrawal; Danish Foreign Minister meets with PLO leader Kaddoumi, says PLO must be associated with Middle East peace talks; Italian workers go on hour-long strike and attend rallies protesting massacre; Britain condemns massacre, demands Israeli withdrawal.

Military Action:

Israeli jets overfly Beirut, making mock bombing raids with flares and smoke bombs; Israeli arming of Phalangists and Haddad forces undermining role of Lebanese Army and government officials.

Casualties:

Former MK and "dove" Arie Eliav confirms UNRWA estimate of damage to Lebanese refugee camps, calls for refugee aid scheme; trash piles mount in W. Beirut (main shopping area desolate, filled with debris); Sharon instructs IDF to ensure safety of Druze from Phalange attacks in Israeli-controlled areas.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: Begin says Haddad should be a member of the Lebanese government; Interior Minister Burg says, in radio interview, Lebanese invasion might create better conditions for autonomy talks by discrediting PLO; Sharon reported to support future overthrow of Jordan's Hussein to make way for Palestinian state in Jordan; Cabinet plans Sunday meeting to assess progress in negotiations; (postpones meeting at request of US envoy); Peace Now sends letters to all government ministers except Sharon urging no entry into Beirut; West Bank unions issue statement supporting PLO, condemning invasion.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: Habib reportedly wants leftist allies of PLO in Beirut disarmed, but not Phalange forces in E. Beirut (rejected by Wazzan, Jumblatt, Berri); Muslims now reportedly support PLO demands; Gemayel flies to Saudi Arabia, meets Arab League representatives; negotiations slow down; Phalangist adviser Pakradouni rejects any future PLO political role in Lebanon, says only one-third of current number of Palestinian refugees should remain; senior PLO official sent to Cairo for talks.

Arab Govemments: Egyptian minister Ghali says US gave Israel a "green light" for inva-sion; over 100 faculty at American University in Cairo condemn invasion in petition to US Ambassador in Cairo; Canadian and Norwegian only missions left in West Beirut (Canadians celebrate Canada Day).

US and Other Countries: Morris Draper, in Jerusalem, confers with Begin, Sharon, Shamir, asks and gets postponement of Cabinet meeting; USSR calls for Arab countries to use oil weapon against US/Israel; Arab students occupy offices of Arab League in Dallas, Texas; as Butros of Egypt meets with French officials, Foreign Minister Cheysson stresses political indispensability of PLO; Amnesty International appeals to Israeli government to account for all prisoners, citing reports they are being held incommunicado.