Incidents of harrassment of Palestinian refugees growing (2 pregnant Palestinian women thrown out of Sidon hospital despite bills being guaranteed by UN); 40 Lebanese landowners...
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...
Sounds of gunfire come from Sabra and Shatila camps throughout day; IDF encounters resistance, cordons off part of city, begins systematic searches; IDF fires on Marine...
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Casualties:
Incidents of harrassment of Palestinian refugees growing (2 pregnant Palestinian women thrown out of Sidon hospital despite bills being guaranteed by UN); 40 Lebanese landowners petition Government to break long-standing property leases, which could lead to 7,000 homeless; Israeli and Palestinian doctors warn of dangers of typhoid and pneumonia in camps; Israel announces plans to distribute cement to Palestinian refugees this week but delays distributing heating stoves until colder weather; Eli Tzur says UNRWA turned down Israeli offer of 200 prefabs for educational, health centers in camps.
Political Responses:
Israel/ Occupied Territories: Mapam leader Shemtov says only PLO recognition of Israel can facilitate negotiations; Bethlehem Mayor Freij returns from 6-day trip to Jordan and meeting with King Hussein, confirms indirect talks between Israeli Labor Party and King Hussein, says he is optimistic about political outlook for West Bank; senior IDF General Uri Simhoni visits US in first official visit since invasion as Pentagon rift eases; Ambassador Moshe Arens meets Shultz, questions US policy of opposing settlements; Peres calls on Israeli government to negotiate with Hussein, otherwise it will be forced later to negotiate with PLO, says he met with 12 West Bank personalities who passed on his views to Hussein; senior IDF officer says Lebanese growing cooler to IDF presence; Communications Minister Zippori calls for extended compulsory military service for Israel's Arabs.
Palestinians/ Lebanese: Wazzan says talks between Israel and Lebanon to begin next week in framework of military commission set up last summer.
Arab Governments: Butros Ghali says Egypt rejected Israeli offer to split disputed Taba land made during early negotiations; Egyptian Foreign Minister Hassan Ali meets high-level PLO delegation for talks in Paris.
US and Other Countries: Pentagon says small delegation of defense officials will travel to Israel to study lessons learned by IDF use of US equipment during invasion; in Administration's new high-level effort to bring about withdrawal of all foreign forces from Lebanon, Habib will be sent back to region and Palestinian autonomy talks will be given less priority; following visit to Beirut with 3 other Congressmen, Congressman John Murtha (D-PA) calls for quick return of US Marine contingent from Lebanon.
UN: Morocco calls for urgent meeting of Security Council to discuss Israeli settlements in the occupied territories.
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:
Sounds of gunfire come from Sabra and Shatila camps throughout day; IDF encounters resistance, cordons off part of city, begins systematic searches; IDF fires on Marine guarding US Embassy, occupies several embassies including USSR; Drori contacts Phalange liaison officer, orders halt to Phalange operations inside camps around 11 AM; at 4:30 PM, Drori and Eitan agree that Phalange can stay in camps until Saturday morning but no additional Phalange forces can enter.
Casualties:
Reports of murders by Phalange/ Haddad forces spread, film crew at Palestine Red Crescent's Gaza Hospital sees children and elderly badly hurt by shrapnel and gunfire; one doctor estimates 1,000 killed or wounded in camps in past two days; several Acre Hospital medical staff killed by grenades while showing white flag; Danish TV crew films soldiers, identified as Haddad's men, herding Palestinian women and children into trucks near Shatila; Norwegian envoy sees bulldozers loading scoops of bodies into trucks near gate to Shatila; IDF announces 1 Israeli soldier killed, 46 wounded in past 24 hours; Haaretz military correspondent Zeev Schiff hears of massacre from IDF officers, relays information to Communications Minister Zippori who queries Shamir, Shamir asks Foreign Ministry about reports, is told Ministry knows nothing; IDF loudspeakers tell merchants to close shops, others to stay home; IDF orders all men to come into streets for interrogation; 6 PM to 6 AM curfew imposed across city.
Political Responses:
Israel/ Occupied Territories: Sharon, awakened by phone call from ITV military correspondent Ben Yishai telling of massacre, replies "Happy New Year!"; Shamir meets Draper in Jerusalem around noon, does not mention massacre reports; Israeli officials say IDF is willing to meet with Lebanese Army to discuss pullback; IDF radio broadcast says Army sent Phalange militia into camps to carry out "purging operations."
Palestinians/ Lebanese: Muslim leaders protest that US has broken pledge; National Liberal Party nominates 82-year-old leader Camille Chamoun for presidency; Raymond Edde of National Bloc Party is third candidate; Salam says IDF makes "laughing stock" of US honor and credibility.
Arab Govemments: Egypt and Saudi Arabia condemn IDF thrust into West Beirut as violation of Habib cease-fire agreement.
UN: Security Council unanimously passes resolution condemning Gemayel assassination, Israeli occupation of West Beirut, and demands immediate IDF withdrawal.
