Tripoli relatively quiet, light shelling and small arms fire in and around the city as all forces resupply; LAF and militiamen exchange mortar, artillery fire in southern...
Syrians and Israelis exchange tank and mortar fire east of Beirut for first time in 4 months; gun battles in Tripoli between rival militias; Beirut offices of Arab...
Beirut truce holds as talks continue, but little progress seen; 130 IDF tanks and two brigades reinforce positions overlooking city from Khalde to the port section; car...
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Military Action:
Tripoli relatively quiet, light shelling and small arms fire in and around the city as all forces resupply; LAF and militiamen exchange mortar, artillery fire in southern Beirut suburbs.
Political Responses:
Palestinians/ Lebanese: PFLP-GC leader Jibril, in Baddawi, says Arafat has 3 days to leave Tripoli: Lebanon marks 40th anniversary of its founding as a nation, shops and offices close but customary fireworks displays absent.
Arab Governments: Saudi FM, as well as delegation from Non-Aligned movement, in Damascus for talks to end Tripoli fighting.
US and Other Countries: Head of PLO political department Kaddoumi begins visit to Moscow; Reagan meets Israeli president Herzog; Weinberger says Iranians blew up Marine compound on October 23 with sponsorship, knowledge and authority of Syrian government.
Military Action:
Syrians and Israelis exchange tank and mortar fire east of Beirut for first time in 4 months; gun battles in Tripoli between rival militias; Beirut offices of Arab Deterrent Force closed, premises handed over to Lebanese Army.
Casualties:
Lebanese doctor shot and killed at roadblock by Fiji UNIFIL soldier in South Lebanon; 3 killed, including Syrian soldier, 6 wounded in Tripoli.
Political Responses:
Israel/ Occupied Territories: Land Day demonstrations in Israel, West Bank, Gaza, 3,000 extra police on duty; 10-20,000 make Land Day march from Sakhnin to Deir Hanna; tear gas fired at demonstrators in Sakhnin; Peace Now demonstrates outside government exhibition in Tel Aviv of residential construction and housing finance opportunities for Jews on the West Bank; Labor Party chairman Peres says position of Haddad forces must not be infringed by troop withdrawal agreement, Israel should not submit to any preconditions, such as settlement freeze, prior to peace talks with Hussein; Habib meets Arens and Shamir who reject notion that Lebanese Army, without Haddad, can provide effective security on northern border; 7 year-old boy killed, 2 children wounded in Shefar Am when hand grenade they find explodes; commercial strike in East Jerusalem; IDF shoots, kills 18 year-old in Tarqumiya, near Hebron, during demonstration; curfews imposed in Nablus, 4 refugee camps; 2 molotov cocktails thrown at IDF vehicles in West Bank; 2 molotov cocktails thrown at IDF vehicles in West Bank; 2 grenades thrown at IDF vehicles in Gaza; 13 persons injured by stones; Al-Fajr editor-in-chief arrested; director of West Bank public health services says clinical symptoms of 53 girls from Arraba, taken ill on March 21, point to something more than a case of mass hysteria.
Palestinians/ Lebanese: Arafat, in Damascus, tells rally he rejects Reagan plan, and Fez summit resolutions are only basis for solution to Palestine problem.
US and Other Countries: Soviet Union accuses Israel of planning a piratic strike against Syria, warns it would be playing with fire.
Military Action:
Beirut truce holds as talks continue, but little progress seen; 130 IDF tanks and two brigades reinforce positions overlooking city from Khalde to the port section; car bomb goes off on Hamra street outside Palestine Research Center, killing 2 and injuring 30; cease-fire broken briefly by small amount of shelling from PLO units north of the airport; IDF estimated to have 8 divisions and 120,000 troops in Lebanon; IDF and PLO dig in to prepare for next round of fighting; IDF continues to seek PLO members in Ain el-Hilweh.
Casualties:
UN workers repair 5-6 water mains, install 9 pumps; about 300 people killed or wounded by car bombs in W. Beirut since June 6; 6 IDF soldiers wounded when vehicle hit by anti-tank rocket near Beirut.
Political Responses:
Israel/ Occupied Territories: Israel pessimistic about chances of Habib's success; protests against the war grow as 105 reserve soldiers and 17 officers send letter to Begin asking to be excused from further service in Lebanon; Sharon warns against attempts to form "unions of former fighters" as dangerous to democracy; Israel reportedly gives more time to Beirut talks; IDF soldiers use tear gas to disperse Nablus youth protesting invasion; 3 pro-PLO political figures detained in Hebron for organizing support for Palestinians in Lebanon; attorney general Gabbai initiates police investigation of Avnery meeting with Arafat; Peace Now has decided to suspend all public activities until W. Beirut situation clears up; Israel eases its time-pressure for an early diplomatic settlement.
Palestinians/ Lebanese: Habib confers with Sarkis, Wazzan, Butros; top aide to Bashir Gemayel gives up hope for peaceful settlement, says all-out IDF drive on Beirut would undermine forging a united Lebanon; Bashir Gemayel makes overtures to Muslim leaders in Beirut to form a unified Christian-Muslim government, including Jumblatt, Berri, Salam; Salam meets with Habib, tries to arrange meeting of Habib with Hani al-Hassan of the PLO; PLO holding out for US recognition as price for evacuation, asks direct talks with Habib; PLO also proposes interim PLO withdrawal to Tripoli and Bekaa while final destinations decided; PLO spokesman Sartawi says PLO has recognized Israel in series of 1977 amendments to its charter.
Arab Governments: Thousands of Syrians, Lebanese, Palestinians demonstrate outside US embassy in Damascus protesting US support for Israel; Iranian troops cross border into Iraq.
US and Other Countries: George Shultz undergoes vigorous questioning before a Senate Committee on his Bechtel connections as part of his confirmation hearings; Congressional sources assert IDF violated provisions of secret US restrictions on use of cluster bombs.
UN: UN Secretary General, during trip to Netherlands, urges all parties to abide by the Security Council resolutions.
