The Palestine Chronology

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: In special Knesset session, Defense Minister Arens says Upper Nablus settlement is of supreme strategic importance for defense, where Jews and Arabs live side by side in Israel they cooperate peacefully and progress together; Druze spiritual leader cancels annual Nabi Shueib celebration to protest tight security checks imposed on Lebanese Druze seeking to enter Israel to participate; Israel Broadcasting Authority empowers director-general to decide whether interviews with West Bank and Gaza personalities are anti-Israel propaganda; US Center for Disease Control doctors report illness in West Bank was induced by anxiety and spread by psychogenic factors, no evidence of poison, no evidence of fabricated symptoms, first cases may have been caused by low concentrations of hydrogen sulfide gas found in latrine in Arraba; teacher at al-Najah University released after 13 days detention on charges of incitement.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: Fateh Central Committee meets in Tunis; tripartite talks suspended for duration of Shultz visit.

US and Other Countries: Secretary Shultz arrives in Cairo, meets Habib and US ambassadors to 9 Middle East countries.

Military Action:

IDF artillery fired at Syrian positions in Bekaa after Syrian tractor fortifying positions reportedly crosses cease-fire line. 

Casualties:

IDF releases Jibsheet's Sheikh Rageb Harb, whose arrest on March 18 prompted strikes and demonstrations; ICRC tells IDF that Lebanese in Sidon are threatening Palestinian refugees in camps and villages; Austrian special envoy leaves Damascus to report to Chancellor Kreisky on status of negotiations for PLO-Israel prisoner exchange.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: 7 arrested in Sakhnin for offenses during Land Day; doctors from US Center for Disease Control begin study of mass illness; chairman of West Bank Medical Association says ICRC investigator denied making statement attributed to him yesterday by Israeli authorities; schools in Jenin and Hebron districts closed for 1 week; Tulkarm and Nablus under curfew; molotov cocktail thrown at IDF patrol in Jalazon camp; 17 year-old Palestinian dies of head injuries sustained in Jenin on March 27, family says soldier struck him with bottle, IDF says he was injured by stones; IDF arrests two carloads of Palestinians said to be driving through Nablus shouting through megaphones that the water had been poisoned; IDF confiscates film, arrests 2 Israeli employees of CBS news on charges of urging hospitalized girls to act ill, charges later dropped; 2 Israelis assaulted and injured near Damascus Gate; 9 Jews arrested during demonstration outside police station where Kahane's nephew is held; 7 persons arrested in Taiba after two days of demonstrations, stoning of police jeep, in support of West Bank Palestinians.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: Arafat, in Amman, meets with PLO Executive Committee and Hussein; in letter to UN Secretary General, Arafat accuses Israel of poisoning thousands of schoolgirls.

Arab Governments: In Damascus, President Assad meets with George Habash.

UN: Iraq calls for Security Council meeting, accuses Israel of mass poisoning of Palestinian schoolgirls, Israeli delegate rejects charges as irresponsible and unfounded; Security Council requests Secretary General to conduct independent inquiry into reported cases of poisoning.

Casualties:

Second group of 15 wounded Lebanese and Palestinian children arrive for treatment in US under American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee program.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: Foreign Ministry expresses bafflement, denies Soviet statement that Israel is planning to attack Syria; 20 residents of Sakhnin and Arrabe in western Galilee arrested, charged with disturbing the peace and raising Palestinian flags during Wednesday's Land Day celebrations; Arab youth arrested after windows of Israeli department store smashed in Nazareth; police investigating Feb. 10 grenade attack on Peace Now demonstration have no suspects; AI-Fajr chief editor released on IS 5,000 bail, after police question him about alleged PLO contacts and attendance at PNC Algiers meeting; IDF lifts curfew at Jalazon camp after 24 days, residents say 2 infants died during period due to inadequate medical care; curfew resumed in Tarqumiya village after youth shot and killed by IDF, family ordered to conduct burial at night to avoid further disturbances; Israeli medical experts say illnesses of some 400 persons in Jenin district in past week were mass panic reaction triggered by possible environmental irritant in nearby village of Arraba, Health Ministry asks US Center for Disease Control in Atlanta to send team of experts to assess Israeli finding that illnesses not caused by poison; 106 persons still hospitalized.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: Arafat arrives in Amman for talks with King Hussein; Lebanon negotiations continue at Kiryat Shmona, progress reported on question of joint military patrols, no agreement on role of Haddad.

US and Other Countries: Reagan says US forbidden by law to release 75 F-16s to Israel while its forces are in the position of occupying another country that has asked them to leave; Habib returns to US.