IDF military bus machine-gunned near Ghazieh in South Lebanon; IDF and Lebanese Army cordon off Khalde beach hotel to secure meeting place, ensure no clashes; IDF tanks...
Joint Druze-Phalange committee does not meet as tensions in Chouf run high over kidnappings by both sides; large IDF force patrols area; cease-fire broken near Bhamdoun but...
Over 200 Lebanese and Palestinian women demonstrate outside Prime Minister Wazzan's Beirut office...
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Military Action:
IDF military bus machine-gunned near Ghazieh in South Lebanon; IDF and Lebanese Army cordon off Khalde beach hotel to secure meeting place, ensure no clashes; IDF tanks seize surrounding hills to stop nearby fighting in Shouweifat, Kfarshima; fighting continues in Aley and two other villages.
Casualties:
Police estimate 18 killed, 27 injured in fighting in Chouf area; 1 IDF soldier wounded near Sidon; 2 IDF soldier killed, 7 wounded in bus attack.
Political Responses:
Israel/ Occupied Territories: Haaretz poll indicates 53 percent of Israeli public opinion supports immediate withdrawal, 24 percent support staying in Lebanon; Israel sends to Lebanon 6-man team headed by Israeli Foreign Ministry Secretary-General David Kimche; public testimony of Commission of Inquiry resumes as lawyers for some officials cross-examine witnesses (Reuven Gai sharply cross-examined by lawyer for Sharon aide Dudai, Dudai also testifies in private).
Palestinians/ Lebanese: Arafat meets Austrian Chancellor Kriesky in Austria; Wazzan, following meeting with Gemayel, names 6-man negotiating team, headed by retired diplomat Antoine Fattal, including Antoine Baroud, lbrah, Kharma, 3 Army officers led by General Abbas Hamdan.
US and Other Countries: US State Department stresses importance of focussing negotiations on getting speedy withdrawal of all foreign forces, not getting bogged down in efforts to force normalization between two countries (status of Haddad forces seen as problematic); 14 of 17 Senate Foreign Relations Committee members send letter to Reagan expressing concern over continued US Marine presence in Lebanon
Military Action:
Joint Druze-Phalange committee does not meet as tensions in Chouf run high over kidnappings by both sides; large IDF force patrols area; cease-fire broken near Bhamdoun but reestablished after IDF arrives; IDF truck carrying ammunition goes up in flames near Deir al-Qamar; Syrian Foreign Minister Khaddam visits Tripoli, negotiates immediate cease-fire after 4 hour meeting with local leaders.
Casualties:
IDF planning to reopen former PLO school at el-Mahshuk, near Tyre (many refugees still live in other schools, preventing reopening); students on strike in Chouf area; 2 killed, 25 wounded in Chouf; 3 IDF soldiers wounded in truck explosion.
Political Responses:
Israel/ Occupied Territories: Sharon declines to testify again before Commisison of Inquiry; Chief of Staff Eitan, Director of Military Intelligence Saguy, head of Mossad, and Sharon's civilian aide Dudai all decide to give additional evidence or to cross-examine witnesses; Shamir meets with Argentine president and foreign minister to discuss Lebanese war, Malvinas, "disappeared" Israeli citizens, ends visit amid indications Argentina will seek large arms purchases; majority of World Zionist Congress vote for resolution, proposed by Labor Party, calling for peace settlement based on "territorial compromise," but parliamentary maneuvering blocks formal adoption.
Palestinians/ Lebanese: Arafat meets with former World Jewish Congress president Philip Klutznik in Tunis; Lebanese Foreign Minister Salem meets with Reagan, asks for more troops, also says Colombia, Brazil and Portugal have been asked to donate troops; Gemayel and Wazzan meet with Draper to discuss US proposal of partial withdrawal as first step to create momentum; to seek solution to disagreement on venue of peace talks; Draper departs to join Habib in Israel; Gemayel telephones Assad following meeting.
Arab Governments: Syria sends two high-level delegates to Tripoli port to try to end fighting.
US and Other Countries: Presidential adviser Edwin Meese says US will sell arms to Jordan without demanding its participation in peace talks, says issues unrelated; Honduran foreign minister denies arms deal with Israel but expects agreement on economic and technical assistance; Habib arrives in Israel; Britain postpones trade envoy's visit to Saudi Arabia in wake of tensions from postponing visit by Arab League delegation including PLO representative.
Military Action:
Booby-trapped car explodes, as rival militias battle in streets of Tripoli; Druze gunmen fire on Phalange jeep in Aley, IDF troops seal off village.
Casualties:
8 killed, 10 injured in Tripoli; 2 Phalange soldiers killed, 3 wounded in Aley.
Political Responses:
Israeli/ Occupied Territories: Begin and 8 other officials given additional week to amend Inquiry testimony; Begin, in letter to Commission, declines to reappear or cross-examine witnesses; 400,000 workers-one third of entire workforce-go on strike as Histadrut pressures for new wage agreement, closing schools, clinics, municipal offices, cancelling all but TV news programs, affecting embassies and consulates around the world; Jerusalem Post poll shows nearly half of Israeli population believes Israel's recent policies have caused a rise in anti-Semitism, three-quarters of Labor supporters blame government.
US and Other Countries: Vatican considers intervention in dispute over purges of foreign lecturers from West Bank universities.
UN: Syria asks UN to revoke 1949 resolution admitting Israel to UN; Egypt urges US dialogue with PLO.
Military Action:
Israeli military patrol ambushed near Tyre.
Casualties:
Over 200 Lebanese and Palestinian women demonstrate outside Prime Minister Wazzan's Beirut office demanding release of husbands and sons arrested by the Lebanese Army.
Political Responses:
Israel/ Occupied Territories: Commission of Inquiry publishes warning to Begin, Sharon, Shamir, four top army commanders (Eitan, Yaron, Drori, Seguy) and two other officials (Dudai, Mossad head) that they may be found guilty of "nonfulfillment of duty" before and during massacre (detailed letters sent to each give them 15 days to notify Commission whether they want to reappear to testify, submit new evidence, or cross-examine other witnesses, gives them the right to seek legal counsel); Shamir, in appearance before Commission denies that he was told of massacre by fellow Cabinet member September 17, says Zipori never mentioned killings, only "running wild," asserts he only heard of civilian deaths Saturday, September 18; border troops dispatched to Ben Gurion airport to quell worker riots following share-holders' vote to dismantle El Al airlines; West Bank university administrators given one week to decide whether to accept revised work permit form for foreign lecturers.
Palestinians/ Lebanese: PLO adviser Nabil Shaath, in interview, says PLO rejects reconizing Israel in return for talks with US government.
Arab Governments: Syria rejects Habib call for simultaneous, phased withdrawal from Lebanon.
US and Other Countries: Habib arrives in Jerusalem in effort to gain agreement on beginning talks, meets with Shamir; US State Department expresses concern over "creeping annexation" and new guidelines for reducing influence of West Bank Palestinians who support the PLO; Mitterrand arrives in Cairo.
