Heavy fighting breaks out east of Beirut between Syrian and Phalangist forces following election of Bashir Gemayel as President of Lebanon (artillery and machine gun fire...
Cease-fire collapses as Israeli tanks, planes, artillery hit Syrian positions along Damascus highway, fighting reported at 9 points along highway; IDF claims Iranians join...
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Military Action:
Heavy fighting breaks out east of Beirut between Syrian and Phalangist forces following election of Bashir Gemayel as President of Lebanon (artillery and machine gun fire around Kubbeih, Krayeh,. Ras al-Harf near Beirut-Damascus highway); two rockets from West Beirut hit port city of Jounieh; reprisals mount against parliament members who voted for Gemayel presidency (houses and offices of 11 members set afire in West Beirut and Tripoli); fighting between Phalange and PLO/LNM forces; Franjieh forces occupy 3 army positions; Bank of Beirut and Riyadh in West Beirut's Hlamra section blown up, looted overnight; land evacuation of PLO forces delayed because of fighting (500 PLO guerrillas sent to Latakia by ship instead, 600 depart for Yemen); PLO/Lebanese government spokespersons say 2,192 PLO members evacuated to Jordan, Iraq, South Yemen in last 3 days; PLO guerrillas scheduled to leave to Sudan; IDF destroys orchards along Tyre-Sidon road to "prevent PLO attacks"; clashes between IDF and Lebanese villagers northeast of Lake Karoun; new international units arrive in Beirut; Pentagon announces 4 US Marines arrive in Beirut for preliminary inspection, consultations.
Casualties:
3 IDF soldiers buried yesterday; freighter "Lotus" with relief supplies and Egyptian opposition parliament members aboard allowed to land by IDF; first Israeli planes land at Beirut airport; private Israeli airline begins flights to southern Lebanon; IDF begin releasing some of estimated 7,400 Palestinian prisoners held at al-Ansar detention camp.
Political Responses:
Israel/ Occupied Territories: Grenade thrown at IDF vehicle in Gaza Strip (no casualties; fourth incident of its kind in occupied territories in a week); Begin, Shimon Peres clash in Knesset debate after Peres condemns IDF advance, cutting off water supplies to Beirut; following Sharon meeting with Draper, Israel agrees to allow US, Italian contingents to take up positions in Beirut immediately rather than waiting until all PLO forces gone; Yitzhak Rabin speaks out against renewing war in northern Lebanon; pamphlets by 3 Arab groups in Nazareth ask Israeli Arabs to support PLO.
Palestinians/ Lebanese: Lebanese Muslims meet at Salam's house, issue statement strongly critical of Gemayel; Gemayel reportedly seeking "mini-Marshall Plan" aid from US to rebuild Lebanon; Gemayel reported by Israeli paper to have met secretly inside Israel with Sharon several times since 1976.
Arab Governments: Tunisia seeks "realistic decisions" on Arab-Israeli peace in statement one day after Bourguiba revives proposal for pan-Arab acceptance of 1947 UN partition plan; Saudi Arabia allocates $2 billion to rebuild Beirut; Egyptian, French officials confer on joint peace initiative.
US and Other Countries: Reagan Administration affirms decision to land Marines in Beirut despite renewed fighting; Shultz invites Sharon to meet Friday during Sharon's fundraising trip to US; Austrian Chancellor Kreisky, in Der Stern article, strongly criticizes Israel.
Military Action:
Cease-fire collapses as Israeli tanks, planes, artillery hit Syrian positions along Damascus highway, fighting reported at 9 points along highway; IDF claims Iranians join fighting near Aley; major tank battle in eastern Bekaa clashes around Lake Karoun, fires burn out of control along highway; Israeli jets hit PLO/Syrian positions near Beirut airport as IDF gunboats hit W. Beirut, IDF continues bombings past new 6 PM cease-fire; car bombs in Beirut kill 50 near seafront, others along Hamra shopping district; fighting focused in Mansouriya area as Israelis try to take heights; IDF takes Bhamdoun.
Casualties:
High casualties as Palestinian areas between airport and city limits take heavy pounding; Acre Hospital in Sabra camp takes direct hits; garbage piles up in Beirut and food prices have doubled in many cases; Rashidiyeh refugees reject clothes offered by IDF, demand their detained sons; 48 IDF soldiers wounded in clashes with Syrians.
Political Responses:
Israel/ Occupied Territories: Israel rejects PLO proposal, insists on expulsion of PLO "core" to country not bordering Israel; Sharon argues camps are outside Beirut city limits and exempt from Cabinet restrictions; Israeli leaders fear France too friendly to PLO; Women's Committee Against the War in Lebanon demonstrates outside Knesset; Ziad Abu Ein, extradited from US to Israel for trial, gets life sentence; Begin, returning from US, rules out UN presence in southern Lebanon, Mapam opposes entry into Beirut, but supports war.
Palestinians/ Lebanese: Habib gives US proposal to Wazzan to relay to PLO, Jumblatt characterizes proposal as asking for complete surrender of PLO; no new meetings of Council planned; Jumblatt says US refused to make guarantees against IDF assault on Beirut; Lebanese Ambassador to the UN Tueni makes bitter address at UN Special Session on Disarmament; Bashir Gemayel reportedly talks to Arafat by phone.
Arab Governments: Hussein of Jordan leaves for visit to USSR, reportedly angry at US support for Israel.
US and Other Countries: US embassy closes, ships arrive to evacuate nationals of US, UK, FRG; Senator Biden (D-Del) supports cut-off of aid to Israel if it continues to build settlements on West Bank.
UN: West Beirut headquarters of UN closed, moved to East Beirut.
