Lebanese Army resumes searches in West Beirut; IDF and PLO exchange fire in eastern Bekaa near Yanta; Phalange (Damour Brigade) shells 5 Druze villages throughout day as...
Over 90 Israeli jets attack and destroy Syrian SAM (surface-to-air missile) batteries in Bekaa valley; 16-22 Syrian MIGs reportedly shot down; Syria reports 19 Israeli jets...
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Military Action:
Lebanese Army resumes searches in West Beirut; IDF and PLO exchange fire in eastern Bekaa near Yanta; Phalange (Damour Brigade) shells 5 Druze villages throughout day as fighting spreads southeast of Beirut; two IDF APCs come under fire; Lebanese Information Minister Shikhani announces Lebanese Army will move into area Thursday; electricity to capital cut to 8 hours after cable severed in fighting; Wazzan orders security police into area to stop fighting; Phalange turns back reporters trying to enter area; US Ambassador Dillon and Wazzan meet Druze leaders; Phalange militia notifies government it will refuse to turn weapons over to Lebanese Army (nominally under Amin Gemayel's command); IDF stops the fighting in late evening.
Casualties:
Pattern of violation of Palestinian human rights, including mistreatment at detention centers, beatings, crowded cells with no toilet facilities, denied food, meets with no action from relief agencies; 27 detained, total number of detainees estimated at 1,000 to 4,500; Israeli and foreign journalists protest new Army order barring them from driving Israeli vehicles in Lebanon without army jeep escort as IDF also refusing to provide escorts; Israel reverses standing policy, says it will actively seek housing and protection for Palestinian refugees in South Lebanon this winter; at least 3 deaths in Phalange-Druze fighting; Lebanese Government estimates almost 2,000 killed in Sabra and Shatila massacre (762 bodies recovered and 1,200 taken away by families for burial, 212 unidentified, buried in mass grave); only 37 percent were Palestinian, most were Lebanese, a few from other Arab countries; Israeli Minister Meridor says 600 detainees have been released from al-Ansar.
Political Responses:
Israel/ Occupied Territories: Israel demands security role for Haddad and written Lebanese guarantee of security zone in South Lebanon as condition for withdrawal; Begin orders protection for Lebanese Druze; Ambassador Arens presents Shultz with Israeli request for $3.2 billion for FY 1984 (currently receiving $2.2 billion); Begin postpones visit to Zaire; Peace Now refuses to testify before independent inquiry linked to Israel League for Civil and Human Rights, says it singles out Israel.
Palestinians/ Lebanese: Franjieh reportedly called Gemayel last week to pledge support; Camille Chamoun, in private US visit, calls treaty with Israel impossible now, criticizes lack of expereince and prestige of new Cabinet named by Wazzan.
Arab Governments: Mubarak says autonomy talks at dead end because of Israeli obstruction, following 2 day meeting with Numeiri.
US and Other Countries: 100 picket Shamir in Chicago; Vatican says Arafat renounced terrorism during visit with Pope.
Military Action:
IDF jets attack in Bekaa (claims 3 Syrian SAM-8 batteries south of Chtaura, 1 F-4 destroyed; Syria claims IDF loses 24 tanks, 4 rocket launchers, admits it loses 16 tanks); jets also attack Palestinian targets in Beirut after mock air raids, reconnaissance flights (Fakhani, Bir Hassan, Ramlet el-Baida, Sabra, airport areas hit, 1 jet reportedly hit); shelling of airport, Burj al-Barajneh, Sabra, Shatila, as IDF warships shell Burj al-Chatila, as IDF wat ships shell Burj al-Barajneh and Ouazi (2 IDF armored cars, 1 tank, 1 mortar position reportedly knocked out) .
Casualties:
Four Syrian soldiers killed, 6 wounded in IDF raids; WAFA reports 51 wounded, killed in today's raids; Lebanese officials report 11 IDF soldiers killed in Wednesday's guerrilla attack in Sidon; PLO reports two IDF soldiers killed, four wounded last night near Sidon as halftrack hits landmine; 12 IDF casualties reported near Aley; IDF troops enter Karantina power station in East Beirut, turn off electricity to West Beirut at 11 PM (results in loss of all water to West Beirut as water pumps are halted; cutoff interrupts Bashir Gemayel TV address in which he nominates himself as Lebanese president); Sidon authorities begin bulldozing remains of Ain el-Hilweh (IDF disclaims any responsibility for plight of camps' refugees, refuses to allow tents to be brought in).
Political Responses:
Israel/ Occupied Territories: Cabinet gives diplomatic process more time, is reportedly split over all-out attack on Beirut; Minister Yitzhak Moda'i says Israel rejects linking PLO-IDF withdrawals, accepts linking only Syrian-IDF withdrawals.
Palestinians/ Lebanese: Bashir Gemayel nominates self as Lebanese president; PLO opposes withdrawal until safeguards arranged for 650,000 Palestinian civilians in Lebanon, acceptable host countries found, and Palestinian right to self-determination affirmed by US or UN; two-hour battle between Phalange and Druze flares in Aley (two killed; IDF separates forces); Sarkis and Cabinet hold emergency meeting to discuss IDF undermining of government authority in southern Lebanon using Haddad militia (Sarkis publicly condemns IDF occupation of southern Lebanon for first time); Wazzan says Lebanese government rejects proposals for interimpartial withdrawal of PLO from all of Lebanon.
Arab Governments: Syria threatens major response, with new weapons, if IDF continues attacks.
US and Other Countries: Habib meets Saudi leaders, then flies to Cairo; Habib's consultant status with Bechtel Corporation initiates call by Senator Pressler (R-SD) for him to resign (rejected strongly by White House); US AID says $850,000 in aid for American University Hospital to be flown to Cyprus for shipment.
UN: UN delays Security Council meeting sought by France, Egypt to discuss Lebanese situation.
Military Action:
Over 90 Israeli jets attack and destroy Syrian SAM (surface-to-air missile) batteries in Bekaa valley; 16-22 Syrian MIGs reportedly shot down; Syria reports 19 Israeli jets shot down (air battle took place as Habib was delivering Israeli message in Damascus); Is-raelis capture Damour (say they will return it to Christian residents and help rebuild), establish bridgehead at Khalde, 4 miles south of Beirut; street fighting continues in Sidon as 2 more Israeli armored columns and infantry unit sent to consolidate control; Israeli naval vessels land troops between airport and Beirut, shell PLO-held areas of city; Israeli air-craft drop leaflets urging Beirut residents to stay off streets, mark houses with white cloth; Israeli troops in Golan boosted.
Palestinian resistance continues in Sidon; Israeli column halted near Beiteddine, with heavy losses.
Syria reports village 3 miles west of Damascus bombed (denied by Israelis); Syrians charge Israelis bombed, strafed fleeing civilians along Beirut-Damascus highway; Syria moves 16,000 more troops into Lebanon, beats back Israeli attempts to take highway.
United Nations command protests Israeli use of white phosphorous incendiary artillery in attacks on Tyre; UN food convoys barred from Tyre until June 8.
Lebanese Army gives scant resistance to Israeli advance; Lebanese army barracks in Sidon, Beiteddine and Hammana heavily bombarded by Israelis.
Casualties:
Thousands of Beirut residents flee to Bekaa valley; UN observers say Lebanese and Palestinian refugees urgently need water and food, that 41,000 Tyre residents gathered on beaches were left without food and shelter for 2 days; after Tyre residents allowed to return to homes, about 7,000 from refugee camps remain on beaches; Rashidiyeh refu-gee camp virtually destroyed; International Committee of the Red Cross reports "heavy damage" in Tyre, Sidon and that 1,200 Sidon residents urgently need medical attention. Israel reports 31 dead, 144 wounded.
Political Responses:
Israel/Occupied Territories: Israeli government blames Syria for provoking Israeli raid; still bars foreign journalists from coastal areas of southern Lebanon; Israel warns Jor-dan to stay out of fighting.
Palestinians/ Lebanese: Arafat urgently appeals to Arab countries to end the "massacre of the Palestinian people in Lebanon"; Palestinian group, reportedly followers of anti-PLO leader Abu Nidal, claim role in Argov shooting in statement delivered to Beirut AP office; Lebanese radio says Israel occupies 25 percent of Lebanese territory; Lebanese government meets, debates proposal to send Lebanese Army into West Beirut; Christian and Muslim groups urge support for Sarkis and Franjieh offers to put militia under Sarkis; Gemayel urges national unity government.
Arab Governments: Iraq announces it will withdraw from all Iranian territory in a week, redirect its efforts against Israel; Syria begins pulling troops out of Beirut back into Bekaa; Jordan's Prime Minister announces Jordan will allow transit facilities for any wishing to travel to Lebanon to fight Israel; Syria reportedly prepares to mobilize reserves; Kuwait, UAE and Qatar issue statements denouncing invasion.
US and Other Countries: US vetoes UN reso-lution condemning Israel as "unbalanced"; Reagan announces he will seek $25 m. in emergency aid for Lebanon from Congress; EEC foreign ministers condemn Israeli invasion; USSR plans to send medical supplies to Lebanon in a few days; Canada, France, Netherlands and the UK urge their citizens to leave West Beirut.
