The Palestine Chronology

Military Action:

Lebanon formally asks three nations to send more troops.

Casualties:

IDF soldier dies of wounds from Tyre building collapse; Wazzan promises to investigate raid on Palestinian-run hospital, says it won't happen again (drugs taken now estimated at $500-650,000 in value).

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: Palestinian survivors of massacre testify before Commission; Shamir, accompanied by high-ranking officers and industrialists, arrives in Zaire in first official visit to Black Africa since 1973 war; Defense Ministry senior adviser Tamir to present Mobutu with overall strategic plan for Zaire drafted by Israelis at Zaire's request; Labor and Likud Knesset members criticize Cabinet approval of IS 16.5 b. supplementary budget (9.3 b. to help pay for Lebanon war); protests in West Bank on 35th anniversary of UN partition resolution, Israeli policeman injured by stones in Ramallah after reinforced security forces try to restore order, curfew imposed on Deheisha refugee camp and Nablus market, tear gas fired to disperse crowds, schools close early; pro-PLO nationalist slate ousts Moslem Brothers in student elections at al-Najah University in Nablus; about 100 foreign lecturers teaching at West Bank universities decide to continue to refuse to sign anti-PLO pledge in new permit form; head of Village Leagues Duddin meets Sharon before both travel to US on separate visits.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: Lebanon's military prosecutor-general orders arrest of nine, including Hussein Mussawi, pro-Iranian leader of Baalbek's Shiites, accused of Islamic raids in Baalbek nine days ago; Wazzan, after meeting with Gemayel, urges US to increase pressures on Israel to withdraw.

Arab Governments: Mubarak and Habib issue joint statement calling for Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon, urging Jordanian and Palestinian inclusion in Mideast peace talks; Habib leaves for Morocco for talks with King Hassan and Saudi King Fahd; Egyptian Foreign Minister Hassan Ali says US sent message to PLO through Cairo saying PLO recognition of Israel would enable US to deal with PLO; semi-official al-Ahram criticizes PLO rejection of Reagan plan.

US and Other Countries: US State Department asserts PLO Central Council did not reject Reagan plan.

Military Action:

Booby-trapped car explodes in Deir el-Qamar area of Chouf; despite IDF denials, Israeli forces advance into positions previously held by PLO in Bir Hassan area near Shatila refugee camp, sparking sporadic exchanges; Wazzan protests advance, seen as undermining Lebanese efforts to demilitarize streets of West Beirut; Muslim leaders fear IDF mine-clearing activities are pretext for armored IDF thrust further into West Beirut; Kurdish, Shiite militias battle each other in Kantari district with rockets and machine guns over personal feud.

Casualties: French UNIFIL officer killed, 3 Lebanese wounded in Bir Hassan; 3 IDF soldiers, 10 others injured in Chouf; Israeli sources estimate IDF might have had 2,000 casualties if it had entered West Beirut.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: Four Palestinian youths injured by IDF soldiers who fired on demonstrators; Nablus Mayor Bassem Shakaa, other West Bank mayors view Reagan proposals as moderately positive; Labor Party supports Reagan proposals as basis for serious dialogue; Sharon calls proposals a "big mistake"; Defense Ministry leaks news of Begin-Gemayel meeting (greatly embarrasses Gemayel).

Palestinians/ Lebanese: Arafat arrives in Tunisia to warm welcome, is formally invited to attend Fez summit; Wazzan protests IDF advance to US Ambassador Dillon as violation of US-negotiated accord.

Arab Governments: Secret visit by State Department representative Nicholas Veliotes to Jordan days before Reagan speech reported; Jordan says consultations with PLO, commitment to Rabat summit resolutions essential; Jordan, Egypt, Kuwait cautiously positive toward proposals; Syria withholds reaction.

US and Other Countries: Mitterrand, in Greece, reiterates French support for Palestinian state; after meeting with Begin and tour of East Jerusalem in company of Israeli mayor, Weinberger reaffirms US determination to press ahead with proposals despite outright Israeli rejection, and flies to Cairo for talks.

Military Action:

Syrian MIG-25 shot down over Beirut; last Syrian forces leave West Beirut as 415 PLO guerrillas leave for North Yemen, 325 to Tartus (estimate that 7,728 PLO guerrillas, 2,651 PLA fighters and 3,598 Syrians have been evacuated); Murabitun still refuses to relinguish positions near Barbir Hospital to French or Lebanese; firing between PLO/ Syrian and IDF positions near Rashaya (Syrians position 1000 tanks in Bekaa in past few days, IDF strengthening positions).

Casualties:

IDF releases 70 al-Ansar detainees to ICRC.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: West Bank Village Leagues sponsored by Israeli government set up new federation; leaders of refugee camps near Nablus hold sit-in strike to protest UNRWA decision to cut back supplies; Israeli authorities circulate list of banned books among West Bank educational departments; Sharon returns from US visit.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: Gemayel ally Etienne Sakr meets with Shamir; Habash vows to continue armed attacks inside Israel; Habib, Wazzan discuss Israeli refusal to surrender control of Beirut airport.

Arab Governments: Assad promises PLO weapons, full freedom.

US and Other Countries: Weinberger, on eve of visit to Lebanon, says US plans to offer economic and military aid to rebuild Lebanon (Pentagon survey teams to be sent to Lebanon to assess training, equipment needs of Lebanese Army, US State Department official suggests Israel might train Lebanese Army); Romanian President Ceausescu calls for Palestinian state at mass rally.

Military Action:

Arafat leaves Beirut by boat after tumultuous departure, farewells to Lebanese Muslim leaders (accompanied to ship by Wazzan, Salam); Syrian troops leave West Beirut, take up new positions in Bekaa; Fathi Arafat welcomes 147 wounded in Greece.

Casualties:

Shootings on rise as evacuation nears end; IDF soldier wounded in mine ambush; traffic heavy in and out of West Beirut; IDF considers delaying release of al-Ansar detainees because of guerrilla attacks in Sidon, Tyre; Egged bus line of Israel plans to open line to Tyre, Sidon, Zaharani river.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: Sharon says occupied territories belong to Israel; Nablus women's associations visit Palestinian and Lebanese wounded in Haifa hospitals; Israeli journalist Uri Avneri interrogated by Israeli police concerning his interview with Arafat (Avneri claims interrogation aimed at silencing opposition to Begin/Sharon policies); IDF soldier Eli Gozansky sentenced to third prison term for refusing to serve in Lebanon (he had previously refused to serve in the occupied territories); 38 percent of Israelis support negotiations with PLO in public poll; pro-Begin group protests war reporting.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: Arafat, before departure, holds press conference at home of Jumblatt (says 5000 killed, 48,000 wounded during invasion; 9,000 arrested, including 106 fighters, among which were wounded soldiers taken from Sidon, Tyre hospitals); 5 Maronites from Kaslik University meet Shamir in Jerusalem, ask US to support Phalange efforts to expel PLO, Syrians; Major Haddad watches evacuation as guest of IDF; PLO officials in Europe release files on Abu Nidal.

Arab Governments: Saudi King Fahd expresses willingness to drop his proposal for Israeli-Arab peace; King Hussein of Jordan visits Saudi Arabia, Iraq as part of Gulf tour; Arab foreign ministers agree on date for Fez summit.

US and Other Countries: State Department denies US proposed to Sharon a "demilitarized Palestinian state" in West Bank/Gaza Strip; Reagan Administration again reflects Israeli assertion that Jordan is a Palestinian state; Weinberger prepares for visit to Lebanon, Israel; poll in UK says majority of Britons support Palestinian rights; Israeli embassy attacked in Tokyo.

Military Action:

IDF and PLO forces fight rocket, tank and artillery duels across Beirut in evening after a day of intermittent shelling; thousands of civilians flee to shelters; Palestinian areas of Barbir and Mazraa reportedly hard hit along with southern outskirts; PLO fire targets IDF emplacements in Hadeth, near East Beirut; shells land at major crossing points, Beirut racetrack, the airport and Burj al-Barajneh; 10 members of 50-man Lebanese security guard unit at airport wounded in shelling; Lebanese Defense Ministry indirectly accuses PLO of starting outbreak by shelling Galerie Semaan crossing; IDF using C-130 Hercules planes to ferry arms and equipment into Lebanon; IDF has reportedly widened and improved a small airstrip at Ansar, west of Nabatiyeh near detention camp.

Casualties:

Beirut experiences major gas shortages, gunfights break out at gas lines; despite token IDF troop pullback to let Wazzan pass and Israeli denial that food was being kept out of W. Beirut, IDF soldiers continue to turn away food lorries as well as fuel and medicine; IDF spokesman says Israel has captured 9,000 suspected PLO guerrillas, 30-60 reportedly being arrested every day; small bands still hiding in hills east of Sidon, occasionally attacking IDF troops; Lebanese police estimate 50 killed, 200 wounded in fierce artillery and rocket duels in the evening; Beirut's 3 main hospitals report 515 killed, 2,200 wounded at their facilities alone since the invasion.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: Mayor Rashid al-Shawa of Gaza is dismissed by the Israeli Defense Ministry, becoming the seventh Arab mayor ousted since March after refusing to lift a 2-month municipal strike against cooperation with new Israeli "civil administration"; 35 IDF reserve soldiers involved in Entebbe rescue in 1976 protest the war in Lebanon in letter sent to Begin; 86 reserve officers and soldiers recently released from their units ask Defense Ministry not to be sent back to Lebanon, appeal for evacuation of all Israeli troops; Communications Minister Zipori opposes setting final deadline for getting "terrorists" out of Beirut; demonstrators in Nablus stone IDF soldiers, tear gas and gunfire used to disperse demonstrators; military authorities ban request of Palestine Bank in Gaza Strip to collect money for Lebanon war victims.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: Beirut negotiations falter amidst contradictory signals: PLO leader Kaddoumi's statement in London that PLO has agreed to leave Beirut countered by PLO statement in Beirut that PLO has not agreed to leave country, only to move its headquarters from Beirut; adviser to Arafat Hani al-Hassan affirms agreement with Lebanese Government to pull PLO out of Beirut when an international force sanctioned by the UN and containing Americans enters the capital to guarantee the PLO's safe exit and protect remaining Palestinian civilians; Habib reportedly resists deployment of international force before PLO withdrawal to avoid any implicit US recognition of PLO; PLO rejects pullout by sea; PLO insists on maintaining political presence in Lebanon; Wazzan ends 5-day boycott of negotiations, takes PLO demands to Baabda following easing of IDF blockade; Bashir Gemayel states opposition to US troops entering Lebanon, says Lebanese Army should secure W. Beirut; Habib contacts Sharon, who reportedly favors a military solution.

Arab Governments: Syria refuses to receive PLO guerrillas from Lebanon, saying they should stay in Lebanon until they return to Palestine; Arab League delegation including PLO's Kaddoumi in London for talks.

US and Other Countries: Morris Draper, Habib aide, reportedly sent to Syria to get it to accept PLO forces temporarily; Habib reportedly rejects two-stage withdrawal; US Sixth Fleet waits off Lebanese coast; White House officials expect negotiation breakthrough soon, describe IDF cut-off of water and electricity as "outrageous"; issue reportedly taken up by Reagan in letter to Begin; Habib plan reportedly calls for IDF pullback of 1 km. while PLO forces begin evacuation; State Department says US "deeply regrets" Shawa dismissal; Britain declines role in peacekeeping force in Lebanon.