LAF and Muslim militiamen exchange fire in southern Beirut suburbs; pro- and anti-Syrian militias in Tripoli battle overnight with RPGs, mortars, machine guns; IDF and...
24-hour curfew declared in Beirut; 300 Lebanese Rangers make helicopter landing, attack militia positions at Holiday Inn, other hotels; 6,000-10,000 Lebanese Army troops...
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...
Phalange forces, backed by IDF, have artillery duels with Syrian-supported Lebanese leftist militia; Phalange-Druze conflicts reported (nephew of Gemayel reportedly killed...
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Military Action:
LAF and Muslim militiamen exchange fire in southern Beirut suburbs; pro- and anti-Syrian militias in Tripoli battle overnight with RPGs, mortars, machine guns; IDF and Syrian forces in Beqaa exchange artillery and machine gun fire.
Casualties:
6 killed in Tripoli fighting. Political Responses:
US and Other Countries: Pentagon proposes to sell additional 253 APCs plus .50-cal. machine guns to Lebanon.
Military Action:
24-hour curfew declared in Beirut; 300 Lebanese Rangers make helicopter landing, attack militia positions at Holiday Inn, other hotels; 6,000-10,000 Lebanese Army troops make combined armor and infantry sweep into West Beirut, recapture positions lost in past two days; Corniche Mazraa occupied by special force of 300, using mortars and tanks; artillery shelling continues from mountain positions; Italian MNF compound hit by 12 artillery rounds; Commodore Hotel hit by several shells; army sets up checkpoints near port area, occupies Mourabitoun HQ, Amal militia, Army maintain informal cease-fire in Shi'ite neighborhoods; heavy fighting occurs in Tripoli between rival Muslim militias.
Casualties:
18-22 civilians killed, 49 wounded in Beirut; 21 Lebanese soldiers killed, 87 wounded, bringing total Army casualties in past 4 days to 42 killed, 176 wounded; Mourabitoun and Amal militia leaders placed under house arrest; part of US Special Forces unit, training Lebanese Army, evacuated from Cadmos Hotel to British Embassy; 25 killed, 60 wounded in Tripoli battles.
Political Responses:
Israel/ Occupied Territories: Foreign Minister Shamir and Deputy PM Levy emerge as competing candidates to succeed Begin.
Palestinians/ Lebanese: After emergency Cabinet meeting, Gemayel invites 11 opposition leaders to join in national reconciliation conference; Jumblatt says Gemayel's call for direct dialogue among factional groups is out of the question; Berri condemns Army's move into West Beirut, calls on other Arab states to stop the massacre of Muslims.
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.
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.
