Tripoli cease-fire breaks down soon after visiting Syrians depart; grenades and sporadic sniper fire; artillery duels and ambush in Chouf, as Druze and Christian leaders...
Walid Jumblatt slightly injured by car bomb blast in West Beirut, issues appeal urging calm among Druze followers; new violence in Chouf one hour after blast as three Druze...
Hours after IDF lifts curfew in area, 5 Phalange killed in Druze village of Aitat, raising fears of renewed communal strife in C.houf; IDF forces move into village to...
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Military Action:
Tripoli cease-fire breaks down soon after visiting Syrians depart; grenades and sporadic sniper fire; artillery duels and ambush in Chouf, as Druze and Christian leaders try to restore cease-fire; Haddad militia commander Ahmed Sheet blown up by car bomb in Nabatiyeh; other sabotage acts in recent weeks in Nabatiyeh reportedly aimed at IDF forces.
Casualties:
3 killed, 10 wounded in Tripoli; 1 killed, 3 wounded in Chouf; 21 others wounded in Nabatiyeh explosion.
Political Responses:
Israel/ Occupied Territories: Begin, in speech to World Zionist Congress, sees good chance of pullout agreement soon, reaffirms settlements are essential; Begin meets with Habib and Draper, who carry proposals to skirt issue of Jerusalem as venue for talks; Israeli military authorities close down Construction and Public Institutions Employees Union headquarters in Ramallah for two months, confiscate union files, arrest union secretary.
Palestinians/ Lebanese: Lebanese Foreign Minister Salem, in meeting with Shultz, warns that lengthy occupation would lead to Israeli annexation of South Lebanon, Syrian/PLO protectorate in North Lebanon.
Arab Governments: Syrian Presidents Assad and Foreign Minister Khaddam meet with Gemayel special emissary Jean Obeid, express openness to partial, simultaneous withdrawal of all foreign forces from Lebanon, provided this is linked to a total withdrawal of IDF forces, affirm that Lebanese security forces should patrol Tripoli; Egyptian President Mubarak, in Vienna, calls on PLO to recognize Israel and declares support for Reagan peace plan.
US and Other Countries: Reagan sends letter to Begin urging Israel to agree to withdrawal timetable hours after Habib and Draper meet in Jerusalem with Begin; US announces $5 m. grant, $15 m. loan to Lebanon to help rebuild damaged homes; State Department sources say Israel is offering to sell Central American countries stocks of weapons captured from PLO; over 175 Representatives sign a letter to Reagan asking him to deny advanced weapons to Jordan unless Jordan participates in peace process; in Senate, Kennedy has almost 60 co-sponsors for resolution opposing more aid to Jordan if it continues to boycott peace talks.
UN: Israel and Lebanon join in unanimous General Assembly condemnation of September massacre, but Israel votes against another provision that calls massacre act of genocide; four other resolutions passed which demand that Israel rescind annexation of Golan Heights, support Lebanese efforts to restore its authority throughout its territory, deplore destruction of Palestinian cultural heritage during invasion and ask Israel for restitution.
Military Action:
Walid Jumblatt slightly injured by car bomb blast in West Beirut, issues appeal urging calm among Druze followers; new violence in Chouf one hour after blast as three Druze kidnapped, Christian positions shelled; two attempts by IDF to break into UNIFIL command posts.
Casualties:
Four killed, 39 injured by car bomb blast which destroys nearby cars, scattering glass and steel shards; Lebanese police report 1,200 bodies found since early September, some in mass graves, raising Beirut death toll during Israeli siege to 6,775 (toll does not include September massacre, estimate 84 percent of Beirut casualties were civilian, one-third under 15 years old and one-fourth over 50, 46 percent Palestinian, 37 percent Lebanese, 10 percent Syrian, 19,085 died, 30,302 wounded in Lebanon from June 4 to PLO evacuation); Tel Aviv newspaper quotes Lebanese prosecutor Germanos' report that 470 people killed in massacre but "it was not a massacre, by Lebanese standards."
Political Responses:
Israel/ Occupied Territories: Israeli journalist challenges Shamir massacre testimony, asserts he heard another Cabinet member use word massacre in call to Shamir; Shamir ends visit to Zaire by signing arms agreement totalling $8 million, cooperation agreements in agriculture, water and fishing resource development, construction, 609 scholarships for Zairean students, landing rights in Kinshasa for Israeli aircraft, commercial and cultural exchange agreements; Israel announces plans for five more settlements near Jeni, Deputy Agriculture Minister Mikhail Dekel tells Knesset new suburban neighborhoods in commuting distance of main employment centers in Israel will be encouraged over small villages generating own employment, says settlers will triple in next three years; West Bank Council of Higher Education rejects proposed revision of work permit forms, leaving 100 teachers facing possible deportation.
Palestinians/ Lebanese: Gemayel sends letter to Reagan, via US Embassy, seeking Reagan's personal intervention to soften "impossible" Israeli conditions; Guardians of the Cedars leader Etienne Saqa, at Israeli government- sponsored news conference in Jerusalem, says September massacre was "a Lebanese reaction from relatives . . . of our martyrs" and that "we have the full right to deal with our enemies in Lebanon in the manner we find suitable. . . . this is our interior problem. . .," says visit is to thank Israel for its "generous intervention," calls Wazzan a Syrian/PLO puppet.
US and Other Countries: Deputy Secretary of State Kenneth Dam says US will only meet Lebanese request to double troops if there is movement toward withdrawal of foreign forces from Lebanon, says Administration considering asking for more reconstruction aid for Lebanon, urges Israel to drop demand for Jerusalem venue for peace talks; State Department sharply criticizes Senate committee for allocating more money than Administration sought for Israel.
Military Action:
Hours after IDF lifts curfew in area, 5 Phalange killed in Druze village of Aitat, raising fears of renewed communal strife in C.houf; IDF forces move into village to prevent retaliation from Phalange based at Souk al-Gharb.
Casualties:
6 IDF soldiers held by PLO, in interview at Chtaura, say treatment good.
Political Responses:
Israel/ Occupied Territories: Over 200 Israeli academics sign petition to end anti-PLO pledge requirement for West Bank; 3 Palestinian residents of Nazareth sentenced to jail for participating in "illegal demonstrations" following September massacre; Israeli authorities order Palestinian to demolish 2 rooms of house in Kalandia refugee camp for lack of permit, despite lack of court decision in case.
Palestinians/ Lebanese: Gemayel meets with Habib on troop withdrawal talk prospects, says Lebanon has rejected Israeli conditions of permanent military outpost on Baruk mountain, free trade, quasi-diplomatic missions, right to patrol Lebanese airspace and territorial waters; government officials and Jumblatt indicate they will seek Habib's involvement in Chouf crisis; Arafat arrives in Algeria at head of military delegation, confers with Algerian President Chadli.
Arab Govemnments: Assad, in speech marking 12th anniversary of coming to power in Syria, strongly attacks US policy in the Mideast and criticizes Reagan peace plan as seeking "capitulatory negotiations" by Arab countries with Israel, reaffirms Syrian insistence on unconditional Israeli withdrawal, says Syria may not withdraw if it disapproves of conditions attached to IDF withdrawal.
