The Palestine Chronology

The IDF completes the evacuation of Gadid (est. 1982, pop. 350, size 1,600 d., hrs. to evac. 3); halts operations at sundown for the Sabbath, planning to resume on 8/21; starts demolishing homes in Kerem Atzmona; begins digging 8-ft. trench around Gush Katif settlements to prevent Palestinians fr. entering before evacuation is complete. During the day in Gadid, where almost all residents left on 8/17, some 200 disengagement protesters set fires, erect roadblocks to block troops. Palestinian gunmen fire on Gadid, causing no damage or injuries. Also in Gaza, 2 Hamas mbrs. are injured when a roadside bomb they are planting explodes prematurely. In the West Bank, disengagement protesters set fire to a gas station outside Sanur. Jewish settlers take over 2 Palestinian homes nr. Homesh as lookout posts to help nonresident settlers infiltrate the IDF closed military zone to protest the disengagement; the IDF ousts them later in the day. A pig’s head, presumably left by disengagement protesters, is found in the Hassan Bek mosque nr. Jaffa. Meanwhile, the IDF occupies a 3-story building under construction nr. Kiryat Arba in Hebron, closes 21 stores attached to the building; conducts patrols in Nablus. Jewish settlers fr. Ramat Yishai in Hebron, throw stones, bottles at Palestinian homes, injuring an 8-yr.-old Palestinian boy. Jewish settlers fr. Sha’ar Hatikva nr. Qalqilya throw stones at nearby Palestinian cars, set fire to agricultural land and several greenhouses. Unidentified gunman fire on the car of West Bank Hamas political leader Shaykh Hasan Yusuf; Yusuf was not in the car, his bodyguards were but are not hurt. (BBC, HA, IDF Radio, ITV, JP 8/19; NYT, WP, WT 8/20; PCHR, PR 8/25)

Social/Economic/Political

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Egyptian Charge d'Affaires presents $10,000 to Jaffa Waqf Administration for Hassan Bek mosque renovation after Israeli govt., Tel Aviv municipality delay funding of reconstruction [JP 1/22]. Haifa U. files complaint against Arab Students Committee after 1/17 fight between Jews and Palestinians during speech by MK Eitan; students maintain they only protested Eitan's racist statements [JP 1/22]. IDF, Border Police confiscate over 200 dunums of land in Gaza Valley [FJ 1/25].

Military Action

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Defense sources indicate 610 IDF combat deaths in Lebanon since 6/82; 376 killed in Israel during same period from training & road accidents, suicide, etc. [JP 1/21].

Casualties:

1 IDF soldier wounded when APC triggers land mine east of Beirut.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: Sharon has private talks with Haddad and meetings with senior IDF officers in Lebanon; Film Censorship Board bans episode from '83, 80-minute film by Israeli directors on changes in Israeli Jewish society resulting from occupation, on grounds it seriously damages IDF and incites and agitates the Arab population; Religious Affairs Ministry says it will plan and execute renovation of Hassan Bek mosque in Jaffa, then transfer it from control of custodian of absentee property to Waqf; windows of 100 Arab-owned cars parked near Kiryat Arba are smashed by iron bars and stones during night.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: Arafat, in North Yemen, says he favors continuing the constructive, fraternal dialogue with Jordan; PLO office in Paris announces that Ilan Halevi, anti-Zionist Israeli journalist, will assume Sartawi's position in closing sessions of Socialist International congress; Lebanese-Israeli-US negotiations continue at Netanya with four day intensive effort to draw up inventory of points still at issue, Habib travels from Beirut to Jerusalem.

US and Other Countries: Reagan promises American Jewish Holocaust survivors gathering in Washington that the security of safe havens in US and Israel will never be compromised; Portuguese police hold one suspect in Sartawi murder, say commando-style group was involved.

Casualties:

Haddad says Israel should release most of the Lebanese nationals being held at Ansar detention camp.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: Minaret of unused Hassan Bek mosque in Jaffa collapses, neglect and/or explosives suspected, Tel Aviv authorities and Ministry of Religious Affairs blame each other, Muslim groups hold vigil; stones thrown at military patrols in Dura, Yatta and Husan; partial strike in East Jerusalem schools; 2 Israeli cars stoned in Beit Jalla; 3 tourists, 4 Israelis injured by stones; curfews imposed in Dahariya, Nablus and Balata camp.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: Arafat and Hussein hold two rounds of talks, no statement issued; Hussein and Reagan confer by telephone.