The Palestine Chronology

In Gaza, the IDF opens Rafah crossing for departures only, opens Qarni crossing for imports only; makes late-night air strikes destroying a store, house in Jabaliya r.c. (warning the residents in advance to leave), damaging 3 nearby homes. In the West Bank, the IDF sends undercover units into Tulkarm in a car with Palestinian license plates, surrounds the home of a wanted Hamas mbr., fires on the home, arrests the wanted man when he surrenders; sends troops into Ramallah, occupying offices in the PA Public Works Min. as an observation post, surrounding an apartment building, ordering residents to evacuate, arresting 3 Palestinians, firing on stone-throwing Palestinians who confront the troops, wounding 1; conducts arrest raids, house searches in Aqabat Jabir r.c. nr. Jericho; issues military orders confiscating 8 d. of Palestinian land nr. Qalqilya for the separation wall. (OCHA 8/16; PCHR 8/17)

The IDF drops leaflets on Beirut warning residents of the capital to expect escalated bombing whose “painful and severe results will not be limited” to Hizballah targets, urging residents of 3 neighborhoods (Burj al-Barajneh, Hay Sullum, al-Shiyah) to evacuate immediately (the areas are vacant by the end of the day, with the government bussing residents without transportation to Juniyah); drops leaflets on n. Lebanon, warning truck drivers to stay off roads to Syria. Meanwhile, Israel asks the U.S. to speed delivery of M-26 artillery shells (short-range antipersonnel rockets armed with cluster munitions) along with other unspecified weapons for use against Hizballah. The IDF continues air and artillery strikes across Lebanon, including firing missiles at an unused radio tower in downtown Beirut; targeting traffic on roads nr. Tyre, destroying roads in the Biqa‘ Valley, killing at least 2 Lebanese. Ground operations continue in s. Lebanon, reportedly focusing on areas stretching fr. Marja’uyun to al-Khiyam (with the IDF claiming to have taken control of Marja’uyun) and fr. Aita alSha‘b to Bint Jubayl, leaving at least 1 IDF soldier dead, 2 wounded nr. Qlei‘a. Hizballah fires at least 140 rockets into n. Israel, hitting Acre, Carmiel, Dayr al-Assad (killing an Israeli Palestinian woman, her son and wounding 11), Haifa, Kiryat Shimona, Ma’alot, Nahariya, Safad. (WP 8/10; NYT, WP, WT 8/11; WP 8/13)

Military Action:

IDF launches new attacks on West Beirut after accepting withdrawal plan "in principle" (jets bomb Burj al-Barajneh, Sabra, Shatila and near airport, attack Syrian missile positions in Bekaa; IDF artillery, gunboats continue to pound Palestinian areas); column of IDF tanks moving north of Jounieh toward Jubail.

Casualties: Inmates of Beirut asylum reported starving to death (27 removed by ICRC to safer institution); 46 killed, 89 wounded in IDF raids yesterday; today's raids result in 12 killed, 37 wounded; six truckloads of Red Cross medical supplies and food permitted to enter Beirut; some bakeries (for first time in 2 weeks) selling bread.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: Israel accepts "in principle" Habib's plan for PLO withdrawal to end IDF siege of city; Habib flies to Israel to clarify proposal, urge Israel to halt attacks on Beirut; Cabinet meets, announces counter-proposals over details (insists on names/ destinations of evacuees, opposes UN observers, wants IDF pilot returned); Chief of Staff Eitan stresses if PLO fails to leave Beirut IDF will remove them.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: Phalange militia ("Lebanese Forces") vows not to enter West Beirut (reportedly pressed by Sarkis, Habib); Habib, before departing, briefs Sarkis, Wazzan, Butros; Lebanon asks delay in Arab League talks.

Arab Governments: Syria, Tunisia affirm willingness to provide refuge for PLO guerrillas being evacuated; Iraq reportedly says it is willing to take in all the guerrillas; Egypt reaffirms conditional offer; both Yemens agree to take guerrillas.

US and Other Countries: Reagan meets briefly with Peres, voices optimism on negotiations; Defense Department says preparations underway to send 1,000 Marines into Beirut after PLO begins departing.

Military Action:

IDF Deputy Chief of Staff says IDF is preparing to stay through the winter "if neces-sary" as IDF builds paved roads, moves bases to flat areas, installs water pumps for IDF; intermittent bombardment of W. Beirut by IDF continues as blockade maintained on food, bottled water (except for medicines).

Casualties:

President of American University of Beirut, Malcolm Kerr, launches $5 million fundraising drive to save AU Hospital from financial disaster as a result of the war (says 95 percent of wounded treated at hospital were civilians, 70-80 percent of them Lebanese; nursing staff now down to 50 percent of normal); ICRC for first time allowed to bring ambulances, medicines, blood, hospital equipment into W. Beirut; some food trucks let in; Catholic Relief Services said they were allowed to bring food into W. Beirut for first time in 4-5 days; ICRC supplies in Jounieh still being held up by IDF; four IDF soldiers killed when armored car hits mine in southern Lebanon.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: Doubts reportedly emerging among IDF soldiers about how "defensive" this war is; Sharon meets with Habib; government reportedly opposes wide-spread expulsions of Palestinian refugees advocated by Bashir Gemayel; Bir Zeit University closed for 3 months by order of Sharon (400 students protest in Ramallah-30 arrested); 2 lecturers, 30 students arrested in Nablus at Al Najah College.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: Habib expects agreement by end of the week; Salam reports PLO dropped insistence on UN approval of multinational force; Wazzan still refuses to go to E Beirut; Pierre and Bashir Gemayel advocate complete expulsion of all Palestinians from Lebanon, civilian and PLO alike; negotiations snagged on role of foreign troops in PLO withdrawal (Salam says what good are troops after the PLO leaves; Sarkis reported-ly wants foreign troops deployed throughout Lebanon, fears PLO and Syrians will otherwise stay in Bekaa); Arafat invites ICRC to visit W. Beirut to see IDF violations of Geneva Conventions.

Arab Governments: In formation Minister says Syria hasn't been consulted on any plan for PLO fighters to go to Syria or for Syrian troop withdrawal (raises fears that Syria will not be willing to take PLO fighters); Syria estimated to have 60,000 troops in Lebanon (30,000 more than before invasion-sent to defend approaches to Damascus); Indian Foreign Ministry asks Israeli consul in Bombay to leave in 48 hours because of "interference in internal affairs."

US and Other Countries: US Sixth Fleet 40 miles off Lebanese coast; Habib instructed to offer US troops only after PLO evacuation; 2 US Senators (Dodd and Levin), after meeting with Begin, claim he set no deadline for evacuation.

Military Action:

Israeli gunboats shell Palestinian areas in Beirut, hitting apartment buildings and killing 17; IDF advances in airport area; low-in-come Fakhani area "pulverized" by IDF jets; AP reports 50 buildings damaged in Corniche Mazraa area; blood-stained residents seen wandering in the streets in state of shock; IDF aerial and ground assaults on Syrian positions east of city, in apparent attempt to seize all major ridges overlooking Bekaa; IDF seizes Bhamdoun, severs Damascus highway cutting off Syrian units in Beirut, Syrian forces withdraw to Aley; IDF heavily bombs Chtaura.

Casualties:

West Beirut water cut to 4 hours every 2 days; garbage rots and typhoid cases reported; electricity cut to 4 hours/day; telephone lines and underground cables cut, reportedly by IDF saboteurs; hundreds of US and Lebanese citizens evacuated throughout day from Beirut; US Senate completes emergency ac-tion on $50 m. aid to Lebanon; ICRC says there are 10,000 displaced persons around Baalbek in eastern Bekaa, 8,000 without water, many camped in town's 11 schools; Caritas-Liban puts urban displaced within Beirut alone at 70,000, not including Palestinians and Lebanese who have crossed into Phalangist-held areas; 60 people die in car bomb explosion; 20 killed, 50 wounded in latest bombings.

Political Responses:

Israel/Occupied Territories: Israeli soldiers begin to question why they are so deep inside Lebanon as soldiers returning from front reportedly very depressed; Israeli casualty totals not released for past week; an Israeli Cabinet member states Israel's humanitarian aid meant only for indigenous Lebanese, not Palestinians; Sharon says 25-mile security zone is only Israel's minimum goal; Cabinet reportedly reviewing options on invasion of Beirut; Operation Peace for Galilee now Israel's longest war since 1948-49.

Palestinians/Lebanese: Habib continues meetings, but little hope expressed; Sarkis calls Saudi King, supports Arab League Foreign Ministers meeting before full summit; re- ports that Camille Chamoun, at beginning of war, acknowledged Israeli military aid to Phalangists during the civil war of 1975-76; Jumblatt expresses fear PLO may fragment, "go terrorist," calls Council "cosmetic."

Arab Governments: Syria sends 10-12,000 more troops into Lebanon in past week; 5 SAM batteries installed just inside Syrian border; Mubarak and Lebanese Ambassador to US call for stronger US response.

US and Other Countries: US Senate completes emergency action on $50 m. in aid to Lebanon; US reports Begin pledged IDF would not enter Beirut; 650 evacuated by US ship through Jounieh; US reportedly asks Euro-pean/Arab countries to persuade PLO to evacuate Beirut; Tass blames Egypt for invasion of Lebanon; Cuba calls for emergency session of UN General Assembly on Lebanon; Mitterrand calls for emergency session of Security Council.

UN: UN data indicates only one shelling of Israel from Lebanon since July 1981 cease-fire followed IDF bombing of Palestinian camps in Lebanon in June.