The Palestine Chronology

Military Action:

Fighting continues between LAF and militiamen in southern suburbs and at Souq al-Gharb and between Druze and Phalange militias in Kharroub; stray shells land near Marine base at airport.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: New Finance Minister Yigal Cohen-Otgad right-wing member of Herut party with business interests and residence in West Bank, named by Shamir.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: PSP official says Druze refugees have begun to occupy homes abandoned by Christian refugees in Chouf villages as part of new civil administration policy.

US and Other Countries: Reagan appoints McFarlane as national security adviser, replacing William Clark; Marine commander in Beirut says sniper fire in past few days originates from gunmen newly arrived in area; US states officially for first time that Marines and other MNF units are the targets of attacks.

Military Action:

Fighting continues at Souq al-Gharb, Aley, Beit Eddine and Deir al-Qamar; PSP forces capture Qabr Chamoun junction; shells fall in Khaldeh, Yarze, Baabda and other suburbs, and around airport, near US Marine positions; LAF engages Shi'ite militiamen in Beirut district of Chiah; US Navy warship fires first rounds of 5-inch shells at PSP artillery position near Chemlan, southeast of Beirut, Marines also return fire; US jet overflies village of Deir al-Qamar; IDF patrol crosses Awali River, removes roadblock at village of Amayle.

Casualties:

LAF reports 2 killed, 6 wounded; PSP accuses Phalange militiamen of killing 40 Druze civilians in Abey, near Qabr Chamoun; bomb destroys Islamic lUnification Movement sports club in Tripoli, 5 killed, 25 wounded.

Political Responses:

Palestinians/ Lebanese: McFarlane meets Gemayel, Wazzan in Beirut, Jumblatt in Damascus; Jumblatt says PSP forces will not fire on targets endangering MNF units.

Arab Governments: Saudi Arabia renews its diplomatic efforts toward a ceasefire, sends Prince Bandar Ibn Sultan to Damascus.

US and Other Countries: Rep. Clarence Long (D-MD) says he will seek legislative cut-off of funds for US MNF contingent unless Reagan seeks formal Congressional authorization under 1973 War Powers Act.

Military Action:

Fierce tank and artillery battles continue between PSP and LF militias in Chouf, focus on control of Bhamdoun; LAF moves troops into Dar aI-Wahch, near Aley.

Casualties:

31 killed, including 3 LAF soldiers, 83 wounded; LAF reports 40 Druze killed in Kfar Matta, says LF responsible, PSP accuses LAF of participating in massacre; Phalange report murder of civilians and militiamen by PSP forces near Bhamdoun; 4 US Marines wounded by mortar fire.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: Israel warns PSP not to occupy areas it has evacuated, says fall of Bhamdoun to PSP would be seen as a change in the status quo, extending Syrian territory.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: Pro- and anti-Arafat Fateh forces resume fighting near Baalbek.

Arab Governments: Syria calls for Arab League boycott of Lebanon.

US and Other Countries: McFarlane returns to Beirut.

Military Action:

IDF completes overnight withdrawal; heavy artillery, machine-gun battles between LF [Lebanese Forces-Phalange militia] and PSP militia as each moves to occupy former IDF positions; LAF dislodges PSP forces at Kf. r Matta and Khaldeh, fires artillery at PJP positions in Chouf; Israeli jets strafe column of Syrian tanks, reportedly under PSP control, attacking LF positions near Sofar, several tanks destroyed; LF encircles PSP stronghold at Aley, PSP militia encircles Bhamdoun.

Casualties:

34 killed, 25-71 wounded in Beirut and Chouf; car bomb in Shi'ite neighborhood of Haret Hreik kills 11, injures dozens.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: Arens warns Syria against entering areas evacuated by IDF; Mustafa Dudeen, chairman of West Bank Villages Leagues, resigns.

Military Action:

Druze militia takes control of Aley in Chouf, destroys Phalange headquarters; IDF arming and assisting Palestinian Village League style administration in Ain el-Hilweh camp; IDF announces written peace agreement between Druze and Phalange forces and will enforce its provisions for a cease-fire, removal of road blocks, exchange of hostages; artillery exchanges continue at night; three men arrested while reportedly setting rocket launchers near site of Israeli-Lebanese-US negotiations in Khalde.

Casualties:

2 IDF wounded by gunfire in Sidon; 25 Phalange killed in Aley, bringing to 60 number killed in past week of fighting between Phalangist Lebanese Forces and Druze Progressive Socialist Party; French soldier loses leg when land mine explodes.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: Report of the Kahan Commission of Inquiry into Beirut massacres delivered to Begin.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: President Gemayel says Israeli conditions for troop withdrawal are impossible and Lebanon is not prepared to accept them; South Lebanon village brigades, acting as vigilantes, receive uniforms and arms from IDF; Arafat meets with King Hussein in Amman, who reportedly wants PNC approval for non-PLO Palestinians to join Jordanian delegation for talks with US and Israel.

US and Other Countries: Reagan criticizes Israel for unnecessarily delaying troop withdrawal from Lebanon, being technically in the position of an occupying force; Habib returns to Middle East.

UN: UN documents IDF harassment of villages in South Lebanon, instructs UNIFIL to prevent IDF setting up village militias.

Military Action:

Phalange clash with fighters of Walid Jumblatt's Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) along Kfar Matta-Abey road and in Kaifoun; last replacements for US Marines arrive on rotation duty.

Casualties:

One Lebanese Army soldier killed, 3 wounded along Kfar Matta-Abey road.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: Shimon Peres rejects PLO feelers for talks between PLO and Israeli opposition groups; 4 Cabinet members-David Levy, Yoram Avidor, Mordechai Zippori and Zevulun Hammer-formed secret committee to monitor Sharon during invasion.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: Wazzan says he has begun talks with PLO's Lebanon representative Shafik al-Hout on getting PLO to withdraw forces from country, will soon contact Syrians, also says Lebanon will negotiate only full, not partial, withdrawals.

Arab Governments: Syria reaffirms its refusal to withdraw until Israel does.

US and Other Countries: US envoy Draper reports progress in preliminary negotiations, meets with Gemayel, stresses negotiating teams would not constitute joint Lebanese-Israeli committee; Shultz affirms, in message to Egypt, US readiness to seek resolution of Taba controversy.

UN: UNRWA head denies report on misuse of UN refugee school by PLO released only after US pressure, says Israeli delay in providing information was cause for late publication.

Military Action:

IDF seizes control of most of West Beirut, overcoming resistance by small groups of LNM militia; Israelis tell residents to turn in weapons, claim IDF role is limited; brief fighting west of port; IDF shells headquarters of Murabitun; by 11:30 AM, IDFannounces it controls all key points in West Beirut, completely encircles Sabra, Shatila and Bourj al-Barajneh refugee camps; random killings of civilians by Phalange using knives and sniper fire reported during morning; after 2 meetings of Phalange commanders with Drori, Phalange militia sets up command post near Shatila camp entrance, across street from IDF observation post looking down into camp; Phalange militia assembles by foot and truck, enter Sabra and Shatila camps and begin house-to-house searches; IDF illuminates camps with flares fired by Israeli mortars, aircraft; Phalange commanders in radio contact with IDF officers during operation; IDF rations provided; isolated gunmen break into homes, kill whole families, some civilians axed to death; in evening, IDF soldiers meet hysterical Palestinian women running from camps telling of massacre, relay reports to IDF officers; Gaza Hospital staff report steadily increasing gunfire, explosions; Phalange commander at Shatila tells IDF at 11 PM "Until now, 300 civilians and terrorists killed," report sent to IDF HQin Tel Aviv, circulated among 20 top officers.

Casualties:

48 Murabitun militiamen killed in 2 days; Bank of Lebanon catches fire during IDF shelling; IDF tanks crush cars; residents seek shelter in basements to escape shelling; glass and tree limbs litter area of fighting; IDF soldiers question, detain civilians; by noon, Gaza Hospital reports 100 casualties, by evening, over 2,000 Palestinians and Lebanese jam corridors seeking to escape Phalange/ Haddad militias and report whole families being butchered.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: Israeli Cabinet, at late night meeting, rejects renewed US call for withdrawal from West Beirut, says it will remain until Lebanese Army can ensure order in the wake of Gemayel's death; Sharon and Eitan win approval without dissent for IDF entry into West Beirut, use of Phalange forces in camps despite some Ministers' reservations and Eitan warning that entry may lead to "blood vengeance" by Phalange; Sharon tells Draper IDF will remain; Peres criticizes IDF entry into West Beirut, calls for redeployment of multinational force.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: Phalange Party nominates Amin Gemayel (Member of Parliament and brother of Bashir) as new presidential candidate 7 days before end of Sarkis' term; Sarkis and Wazzan ask Reagan to persuade IDF to withdraw; Lebanon calls on UN Security Council to condemn IDF attacks; 4 LNM leaders meet with IDF officers at a former PSP (jumblatt) headquarters to consider non-resistance but reject it; Wazzan says he ordered Lebanese Army to resist IDF advance but it disobeyed; Arafat demands 3 nations return peacekeeping forces to Beirut to protect civilians, including refugees; PLO Research Center ransacked and looted by IDF.

US and Other Countries: US calls Israeli action a "violation," demands immediate pullout (one official says US credibility in Arab world at stake, may undermine Reagan initiative); Italians support return of peacekeeping forces to Beirut; Italian Jews protest Arafat-Pope visit in Rome.

UN: Security Council meets to condemn Israeli occupation of Beirut.