The Palestine Chronology

Military Action:

Phalange forces, backed by IDF, have artillery duels with Syrian-supported Lebanese leftist militia; Phalange-Druze conflicts reported (nephew of Gemayel reportedly killed); Muslim/Christian conflicts around Tripoli; 2 Israeli generals visit Jumblatt's center, demand that his forces surrender artillery and mortars; Phalange moves into Chouf and Sidon, replacing Lebanese gendarmerie; Israeli jets hold mock battles over Beirut, dropping flares over Palestinian refugee camps; PLO bolsters positions inside W. Beirut; Phalange shoot from behind IDF lines.

Casualties:

Israeli government developing plans for security of southern Lebanon not involving international help (arms and uniforms given to villagers); observers report more physical damage in Tyre than Sidon (where casualties higher); Lebanese bankers protest IDF attempt to violate bank secrecy in Sidon; IDF asks Druze/Phalange leaders to stop fighting between followers (Phalange reportedly using arms against Druze; IDF caught in cross-fire); villages of Jumblatt refuse to be disarmed (Druze Likud Knesset member asks Sharon to restrain Phalangists "who draw their strength from the Defense Minister").

UNRWA reports that 50 percent of houses in 6 Palestinian refugee camps near Sidon/Tyre are destroyed, 40 percent of refugees have fled, UNRWA convoy scheduled to leave Jerusalem for Tyre today (draws on stocks in Gaza and West Bank); two-thirds of two camps near Tyre destroyed (no clear report on third camp); Ain el-Hilweh reportedly "virtually wiped out," Rashidiyeh suffers less damage; 200,000 tons of aid from France, West Germany, Denmark waiting in Cyprus for IDF permission to ship; Canadian physician who worked in Sidon says 50 percent of 10,000 killed by IDF invasion were children under 13 (his hospital was bombed 4 times, he saw pellet bombs dropped on refugee camps, and saw Palestinian prisoners beaten with clubs and metal-tipped whips).

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: Begin disagrees with message from Haig that PLO should be allowed token political presence in Lebanon if Lebanon agrees (says that despite his statement in the US that Israel had no intention of entering Beirut, with IDF on Beirut's periphery "it was another matter," and urges Beirut residents to "flee for your lives"); Israeli Cabinet agrees to give negotiations more time, extends "deadline"; officials indicate Saudi plans for airlift might be acceptable; Foreign Ministry condemns EEC call for involvement of PLO in negotiations; Labor Alignment resolution opposing military action in Beirut gets 47 votes (Likud resolution gets 60, reference to multinational policing of 28-mile zone conspicuously absent); cost of war put at $2.5 billion for Israel ($1 b. in direct costs, $1.5 b. in indirect costs from resultant economic slowdown; equals 10-15 percent of GNP); IDF service extension for those essential for war effort being discussed; officials claim PLO takes advantage of peace negotiations; 200 protest Israeli invasion near Prime Minister's office (including 15 reservists back from Lebanon, who say they have signatures of 200 soldiers opposed to the war); trial of 20 Palestinian youths for guerrilla actions begins in Lydda and Ramal-lah; Israeli Druze leader asks Begin to restrain Phalange attacks on Lebanese Druze.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: Phalange party plans to nominate Bashir Gemayel for Lebanese President; negotiations stall as no Arab countries indicate willingness to accept all PLO fighters; Lebanese continue to flee Beirut, leaving streets deserted; Wazzan puts civilian deaths at 15,000 (IDF Colonel Kadar says deaths number only a few thousand-in excess of 440 civilian deaths cited by Begin last week); Wazzan, after meeting with Habib, rejects Israeli conditions; PLO forces in Tripoli vow to fight on regardless of any settlement in-volving PLO forces in Beirut; PLO privately reiterates willingness to leave Lebanon (form of evacuation and surrender of arms left un-resolved); PLO meets with Salam.

Arab Govemments: Saudis reported active diplomatically; Arab League representatives meet in Taif to continue discussion of common approach to IDF invasion (includes Syrian, Saudi, Lebanese, PLO, Algerian and Kuwaiti envoys).

US and Other Countries: Reagand enies giving Israel "green light" for invasion, says it resulted from PLO rocket attacks on Israel; Senator Percy says IDF invasion of W. Beirut would be "unacceptable" because of civilian casualties; State Department official warns of risk of renewed fighting if PLO and Lebanon do not come to terms soon; Haig sends message saying PLO should be allowed some political presence in Lebanon if Lebanese authorities agree; French Foreign Minister Cheysson, after meeting with Egyptian envoy Ghali, speaks of PLO as representing Palestinian people; Greek Ministry of Culture supervises huge concert in Athens to aid Palestinian children; Nigerian parliament passes resolution condemning Israel; protests held in cities in USSR; USSR accuses Israelis of using chemical weapons in Lebanon supplied by US.

Military Action:

Israelis move troops experienced in street fighting into hills around West Beirut; IDF artillery repeatedly shells Syrian positions near Hammana.

Casualties:

Hundreds live in Beirut parks, lacking food, water, medicine and basic hygiene; garbage piles up in West Beirut streets (most trucks are in East Beirut); more shops close throughout city as fear of IDF attack grows; Baalbek now has 35,000 refugees; Palestinian refugees reportedly receive less aid than Lebanese; Israeli unsubsidized prices for sales to Lebanon about 3 times Lebanese prices.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: Former head of Israeli military intelligence, in US, says casualty figures inflated; Israeli Knesset debate ends with Likud/Labor parties agreeing not to vote against each other's resolutions, only to vote for their own; Begin offers to let PLO leave with personal weapons (claims Reagan said USSR might intervene if there were a war with Syria); Sharon says he informed Haig, Weinberger that IDF invasion of Lebanon was virtually inevitable 2 weeks before actual invasion; Sharon announces 271 Israelis killed, 1470 wounded, 13 missing; government charges UN schools used by PLO for training, as arsenals; reports that IDF used new anti-tank weapon similar to US Sadarm; Sharon speaks at Knesset on scope/aims of war (Peres strongly opposes any entry into Beirut); government officials accuse Habib of false optimism; Israeli Cabinet ratifies June 27 ultimatum, but softens departure possibilities (by land or sea); 4 reservists call on Sharon to resign, call on other released soldiers to join their vigil; 600 demonstrate in favor of war; 30 protest effect of war on the poor in Israel; petition with signatures of 40 who fought in Lebanon printed opposing war; Supreme Islamic Council of Jerusalem states support for PLO, denounces silence of Arab regimes.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: Habib meets with Wazzan, Butros; Lebanese disagree on whether PLO leaders can return to Lebanon to visit; Lebanese papers attack USSR, accusing it of complicity with US; Druze leader Jumblatt expects attack on Beirut within 24- 36 hours, predicts coexistence of Muslims, Christians in Lebanon is finished; Bashir Gemayel predicts Israel and Syria will have full-scale war; reports of de facto strike in Sidon area following Israeli mistreatment; Phalangists reject plan to incorporate PLO units into Lebanese Army, Phalangist troops enter Aley, threaten to kill 12 Druze (Druze leader is killed by Phalange members, allegedly mistakenly); PLO stiffens demands as talks deadlocked over timing and method of PLO withdrawal (PLO seeks own police in refugee camps, PLO units attached to Lebanese Army); Arafat addresses PLO rally; Fateh Central Committee reportedly says no more concessions.

Arab Governments: Saudi Arabia reportedly explores flying PLO out of Lebanon; Egypt sends Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ghali to Paris for talks.

US and Other Countries: US expressed satisfaction with cease-fire; former US envoy to Lebanon, Dean Brown, says US blessed IDF invasion, that Reagan does not know much about the Mideast and "probably does not want to know"; EEC calls for PLO to be involved in peace negotiations, asks immediate IDF withdrawal (arms sales informally suspended to Israel); Austrian Jewish group presents open letter to Israeli Ambassador decrying invasion, asking for peace negotiations with Palestinians; International Socialist delegation, headed by former Portuguese prime minister Soares, visits mayor of Bethlehem; EEC refuses to sign £22 million financial protocol with Israel (does not agree on trade sanctions); Habib requests formal guidance from Washington for negotiations, Haig drafts 9-point proposal in response.

Military Action:

Israeli jets pound PLO, Syrians in big offensive, though truce reported later; Israeli tanks, planes begin large-scale offensive along Damascus highway (involves 200 tanks, heavy artillery, rocket launchers); Palestinian camps, residential areas bombarded in first Israeli jet action over Beirut in 9 days; Lebanese government says IDF about to cut high-way in several places as IDF gains 4-5 miles; Syrian tank losses heavy, but Syrian troops restrain responses in effort to contain fighting; "wall-to-wall" Israeli tanks reported south of Beirut; two Israeli troop buses come under fire south of Tyre; Israeli artillery continues through night; IDF closing in on Aley; 50 Syrian tanks move across Syrian border to reinforce units in Lebanon; PLO units return Israeli gunfire from Burj al-Barajneh; general military mobilization in Syria.

Casualties:

Lebanese police estimate 27 killed, 80 wounded in new IDF bombing of Beirut; Israeli demolition teams dynamite buildings in Rashidiyeh refugee camp as all males are rounded up in Tyre; remaining residents of Rashidiyeh without food or medical care as Tyre residents refuse to help them; no walls higher than a few feet left in Rashidiyeh; Israeli officials announce Palestinian refugees are being denied tents because they fear a "temporary" solution will become permanent; 200,000 Palestinian refugees are in southern Lebanon, mainly around Sidon and Tyre.

Mobile bank units offer IDF all services, including facilitating purchase/ sale of securities on Tel Aviv stock market.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: Israel agrees to new cease-fire after Habib request; divisions within Labor Party between doves, hawks sharpen; 150 demonstrate against invasion in front of Knesset and Peace Now sends telegram asking no extension of the war; Labor Alignment opposes all military penetration of Beirut; Begin defends invasion before 36 angry US Senators who question use of cluster bombs; Israel denies ABC use of satellite in Israel because it broadcast interview with Arafat; Begin meets Haig.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: National Salvation Council meets, makes some progress on plani including IDF withdrawal from Beirut, PLO withdrawal into camps, Lebanese Army posted inside city; highway reopening; possible use of French troops being discussed; PLO denounces USSR for only symbolic support; Jumblatt accuses Habib of "hot di-plomacy"; Phalangists state opposition to any Syrian presence in Lebanon and, for first time, allow unarmed non-Lebanese civilians to evacuate Beirut; Lebanese government tells UN and Arab League it will not renew mandate for Syrian troops after July 19.

US and Other Countries: US embassy advises all Americans to move to E. Beirut (ship due in Jounieh to evacuate Americans); UK, West Germany also advise nationals to leave; PM Thatcher rules out use of British troops in Lebanon; Greek Premier meets with PLO's Kaddoumi; Dutch parliament condemns Israeli invasion, 144-6; Norwegian leaders re-ject Israeli invitation to visit Lebanon.

UN: UNIFIL says it will concentrate on helping civilians.

Military Action:

Israeli forces advance to 15 miles from Beirut; one of the biggest air battles since the 1973 war takes place over Beirut (6 Syrian, 2 Israeli jets reported down); heavy fighting in Tyre and Sidon continues, as Tyre residents are told via air-dropped leaflets to go to beaches to avoid bombings, city is shown in flames; 15,000 people try to enter city from countryside, saying they have no food; Israelis move 100 tanks into mountains east of PLO stronghold of Damour; Israeli shells re-portedly destroy a Red Cross center on the edge of Sidon; tank battles near Jezzine, and Israelis reportedly aim to cut highway to Syria; Israeli planes blast road 2 miles south of Beirut airport; fierce fighting between Israeli and Syrian troops on edge of Beirut; Israelis capture Lebanese president's summer residence at Beiteddine; third attack on Beirut sports complex.

Syrians engage Israelis on southern edges of Beirut, along Beirut-Damascus highway; major Syrian-Israeli tank battle shaping up in Chouf region, stronghold of PLO ally and Lebanese National Movement (LNM) leader Walid Jumblatt (temporarily out of country).

Fierce resistance from PLO units continues in Tyre and Sidon; a few PLO-fired rockets fall on northern Galilee, from enclave controlled by Syria; PLO and Lebanon accept UN call for a cease-fire.

Casualties:

Beirut residents stockpile goods and Palestinian suburbs almost deserted as residents fan out into city; Red Cross center in Sidon destroyed by Israeli shelling; thousands of refugees pour into Beirut from southern Lebanon; 10,000 people placed under Red Cross care in Tyre alone.

Political Responses:

Israel/Occupied Territories: Prime Minister Begin lays out 4 conditions for withdrawal from Lebanon, including removal of all Syrian and PLO forces from Lebanon, creation of a 40 km demilitarized zone north of the Israeli border; Knesset defeats no-confidence vote, 94-3; Israeli Ambassador Arens meets with Deputy Secretary of State Stoessel, Defense Secretary Weinberger and Senator Percy as a former Israeli general meets the US press; Begin calls on Assad not to engage Israeli troops; UN reports continue to be censored; about 40 demonstrators opposed to the invasion are attacked in Tel Aviv.

Palestinians/Lebanese: Arafat meets with USSR Ambassador; Lebanese president appeals to Arab League to hold a meeting; Lebanon's UN Ambassador says casualties run into thousands, mostly civilians.

Arab Governments: Iranian volunteers reported arriving in Lebanon via Syria, as well as Palestinian volunteers from Jordan and Kuwait; Arab diplomats from Lebanon, Kuwait, Bahrein, Jordan and Algeria ask the US to pressure Israel to withdraw immediately, accept cease-fire; Syria rejects any troop withdrawal from Lebanon, reacting to reports of new Israeli conditions for a withdrawal.

US: Reagan, in London, appeals for an end to hostilities; Haig later says US would not deny Israel the "right of legitimate self-defense."

UN: Lebanon and the PLO accept the UN call for a cease-fire; Israel rejects the Security Council demand for withdrawal. Lebanon circulates a petition condemning Israel, threatening sanctions if it does not withdraw. UNIFIL General Callaghan makes first offi-cial protest of the invasion to Israel.

Military Action:

Israeli troops seize Beaufort Castle, Nabatiyeh, Hasbaya; fighting continues in Tyre and nearby Palestinian refugee camps; air battle over Beirut suburbs between Israeli and Syrian jets; Israeli troops converge on Sidon from 3 directions after airdropping leaflets to residents asking them to leave their homes within 2 hours; three waves of Israeli planes bomb and strafe southern Beirut; Begin and Ariel Sharon tour Beaufort Castle; Tyre is finally captured, in house-to-house combat, though pockets of resistance remain; UN re-ports 57 Israeli sorties flown over Lebanon; Israeli armored column pushes to within 12 miles of Beirut; assault on Jiye power plant cuts electricity to Beirut.

Two Syrian jets shot down over northern Israel, .2 in northern Lebanon; Israeli jets bomb and strafe Syrian positions at jezzine, east of Sidon (at least 5 Syrian soldiers killed); fierce battles fought with Israeli jets over Beirut; Syrian peacekeeping units in Beirut move equipment and ammunition to positions guarding highways to Bekaa valley.

PLO units resist in heavy fighting in Tyre and Sidon and at Saadiyat, 12 miles south of Beirut; Palestinian News Agency (WAFA) says 45,000 Israeli troops involved apd 400 killed since the invasion began; claim 45 Israeli tanks and 45 armored cars knocked out; personal security headquarters for Arafat reported hit; PLO accuses UNIFIL of "collaboration" with Israel in failing to counter invasion; Lebanese National Move-ment militias take positions near seafront to guard against Israeli invasion of Beirut.

Casualties:

Apartment buildings and structures at Arab University hit, hospitals report at least 60 wounded; refugees stream into Beirut; electricity cut off to Beirut; Israelis estimate Palestinian casualties at 2500; radio reports say hundreds of bodies litter streets of Sidon; fierce firefight on edge of Sidon reported, as fires rage on hillsides. Israel reports 25 killed, 7 missing, 1 captured, 96 wounded; PLO estimates Israeli casualties at 400.

Political Responses:

Israel/Occupied Territories: Begin turns over Beaufort Castle to Major Haddad, meets with Habib, rejects US call for restraint; Army Chief of Staff Rafael Eitan says taking of Beaufort Castle pushes guerrillas out of range of all Galilee settlements except near Golan Heights; blackout on news of troop movements maintained; Foreign Minister Shamir says Israeli aims go beyond pushing the PLO away from the border to "the PLO's final destruction as a terrorist and political factor"; Israel reportedly pressuring Haddad and the Phalange to join in attacks on the PLO (Bashir Gemayel resists); Peres and Rabin (Labor Party) meet with Begin over remarks of Sharon, and Peres calls for speedy end to the conflict; Mapam demands a halt to Israeli air attacks and a return to the cease-fire; Knesset meets to consider no-confidence motion introduced by Democratic Front for Peace & Equality; 60 left-wing students demonstrate near prime minister's of-fice; 150 march to Mt. Scopus campus. Israeli military police tighten border patrols to prevent goods looted from Lebanese homes coming into Israel.

Palestinians/Lebanese: PLO accuses UNIFIL of "collaboration" with Israelis; Bashir Gemayel resists Israeli pressure to attack PLO; WAFA reports Israeli troops number 60,000.

Arab Governments: High-level Iranian delegation, including heads of Iranian army and revolutionary guards, visits Syria.

US: Pentagon sends 5 US warships to the eastern Mediterranean in case the 4,000 Americans in Lebanon need to be evacuated.

UN: UN resolution calls for unconditional and immediate Israeli withdrawal and an end to all military activity within Lebanon and across its border with Israel (Israel's Ambas-sador says Israel will not comply); ABC reports UNIFIL officer received orders from UN headquarters not to resist Israeli forces.