The Palestine Chronology

SOCIAL/POLITICAL:

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Yaacov Levinson, long-time chairman of Bank Hapoalim, commits suicide after investigations into financial misdealings involving Labor Party institutions.

Arab Countries: Lebanese opposition leaders confer in Damascus. King Hussein returns to Amman after visit to US.

Other Countries: Israeli PM Shamir begins 3-days with EEC FMs in Brussels, lobbying for favorable trade treatment. Reagan admin. claims no knowledge of contact over past 9 mos. between State Dep't. and PLO via intermediary, John Mroz.

MILITARY ACTION:

Arab World: Israelis bomb positions at Hammana, Bhamdoun and Damour alleging rebel Palestinian bases there; local residents insist no Palestinians in area; Souq al-Gharb and Aley also hit.

SOCIAL/POLITICAL:

Occupied Palestine/lsrael: Energy Min. Moda'i urges Cabinet to authorize attempt to capture Arafat and top aides before leaving Tripoli. Israel denies US bombing raids part of joint plan with Israel. Anti- nuclear, ecumenical Bethlehem Peace Pilgrimage Group arrives in Haifa for last leg of 12,000 km trek from Bangor, WA, USA, to Bethlehem.

Arab World: Syrian FM calls for international and Arab action against aggressive US policy in Middle East. In Tripoli interview, Arafat says he wants PLO base in Cairo.

Other Countries: Bonn agrees to DM140 million loan to Israel for investment in high-tech development.

MILITARY ACTION:

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Molotov cocktail attack on Israeli military patrol in Nablus; curfews imposed on nearby Balata and Askar camps.

Arab World: US jets bomb Syrian positions in Kfar Salwan, Falougha, Hammana, Dahr al-Baidar, Jabal Knayset and Sofar in Lebanon; 2 jets downed. 8 Marines killed by militia, presumed by US to be Syrian- backed; 6th Fleet opens fire on militia positions.

Other Countries: Israeli embassy in Bankok bombed; attackers unidentified; Thai customs allerted to "suspicious Arabs" trying to leave the country. 

Military Action:

Mortar and machine gun fire from unidentified sources directed at LAF position near Khaldeh; artillery and RPG fire exchanged in Beirut suburbs of Ain Rummaneh and Chiah; US Marines placed on highest state of alert as mortars fall near compound; car bomb explodes as IDF vehicle passes southeast of Tyre.

Casualties:

2 IDF soldiers wounded in car bomb explosion.

Political Responses:

Palestinians/ Lebanese: Lebanese Cabinet meets in emergency session, states that efforts to arrange time and place for national reconciliation talks remain unsuccessful; 45 more LAF officers and soldiers join other "conscientious objectors" at Hammana Barracks, refuse to take part in LAF operations until national agreement on use of LAF is achieved, accuse LAF of giving US-provided weapons, ammunition, and artillery target coordinates to Phalange militia; 23 Fateh military staff officers in Damascus defect to PLO rebels.

US and Other Countries: Greek PM meets Jumblatt in Athens.

Military Action:

6 hours of shelling in Chouf spill over into Beirut suburbs, IDF fires at Druze positions, cease-fire in effect at 0800; Lebanese Forces blockade Aley, Druze forces in Hammana surround Lebanese Army barracks; roads cut between Christian and Druze villages in Chouf; 2 Katyushas fired at IDF position north of Tyre.

Casualties:

6 killed, at least 21 wounded in Beirut suburbs; IDF kills 1 guerrilla north of Tyre; Israeli press reports IDF is losing control over Ansar, tanks and artillery needed to guard soldiers entering camp for daily head count.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: Liberian President Doe begins 4-day visit to Israel, first by African head of state since 1972; Arens meets three West Bank and Gaza political leaders in Tel Aviv.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: PFLP-GC commandos supporting Arafat take over training post at Bedawi refugee camp in northern Lebanon after battle with opposing PFLP-GC faction.

Military Action:

Rival militias battle in Tripoli; Druze militia surrounds Lebanese Army barracks in Hammana, warns army and police to keep off roads in Chouf mountains; in response to attacks by Lebanese National Resistance, IDF steps up security in and around Sidon; Syrian small-arms fire directed at IDF fortification on eastern front.

Casualties:

3 killed, many wounded in Tripoli fighting, shops close as armed men roam streets; 3 wounded by Nabatiyeh car bomb.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: 12 Bedouin men begin hunger strike in Israel to protest harassment by Green Patrol, demand talks with Ministry of Agriculture; Central Bureau of Statistics figures show $557m. trade deficit for first 2 months of 1983, nearly 20% higher than 1982; trial begins of two Kiryat Arba officials charged with illegal possession of explosives and destroying evidence police believe may be connected with June 1980 bomb attacks on West Bank mayors; 2 IDF injured by stones during incidents in East Jerusalem and Ramallah; general strike in Ramallah; Nablus market under curfew; Birzeit University reopens; 3 Birzeit students beaten, 1 detained by settlers; IDF uses helicopters to patrol West Bank; 35 Gaza youths sentenced by military tribunal to fines and suspended prison sentences for disturbing the peace by throwing stones last week; 6 teenagers in Ramallah sentenced to 6 to 8 months imprisonment and fined $400 to $900 for participating in recent disturbances; 3 girls in Ramallah convicted of stone-throwing, fined up to $2800 and given suspended prison terms; youth arrested in Jerusalem for wearing shirt in colors of Palestinian flag; special prayers held at Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa mosques to protest plot by Jewish zealots, uncovered by police last week, to seize Temple Mount.

Arab Governments: Egyptian-Israeli talks on normalization of trade and commercial relations, suspended since June, resume in Cairo.

US and Other Countries: Foreign Minister Salem tells Shultz and other officials in Washington, that Lebanese Army is capable of controlling all Lebanon, Israeli military presence is unnecessary; Shultz and Shamir meet for 5 hours, focus on possible use of international troops and increased US presence to meet Israeli security concerns in South Lebanon; Shamir delegation meets with Reagan, Bush, Weinberger, Shultz, Habib and Draper, Reagan reportedly emphasizes urgency of Israeli agreement to withdrawal terms; 10 IDF touring US to offset impression that Lebanon campaign was overly aggressive; US Ambassador to UN Kirkpatrick, in Israel for conference on Soviet Jewry, meets Begin; former President Carter meets King Hussein in Amman, says Israeli settlements in West Bank are illegal and an obstacle to peace.

Military Action:

Over 90 Israeli jets attack and destroy Syrian SAM (surface-to-air missile) batteries in Bekaa valley; 16-22 Syrian MIGs reportedly shot down; Syria reports 19 Israeli jets shot down (air battle took place as Habib was delivering Israeli message in Damascus); Is-raelis capture Damour (say they will return it to Christian residents and help rebuild), establish bridgehead at Khalde, 4 miles south of Beirut; street fighting continues in Sidon as 2 more Israeli armored columns and infantry unit sent to consolidate control; Israeli naval vessels land troops between airport and Beirut, shell PLO-held areas of city; Israeli air-craft drop leaflets urging Beirut residents to stay off streets, mark houses with white cloth; Israeli troops in Golan boosted.

Palestinian resistance continues in Sidon; Israeli column halted near Beiteddine, with heavy losses.

Syria reports village 3 miles west of Damascus bombed (denied by Israelis); Syrians charge Israelis bombed, strafed fleeing civilians along Beirut-Damascus highway; Syria moves 16,000 more troops into Lebanon, beats back Israeli attempts to take highway.

United Nations command protests Israeli use of white phosphorous incendiary artillery in attacks on Tyre; UN food convoys barred from Tyre until June 8.

Lebanese Army gives scant resistance to Israeli advance; Lebanese army barracks in Sidon, Beiteddine and Hammana heavily bombarded by Israelis.

Casualties:

Thousands of Beirut residents flee to Bekaa valley; UN observers say Lebanese and Palestinian refugees urgently need water and food, that 41,000 Tyre residents gathered on beaches were left without food and shelter for 2 days; after Tyre residents allowed to return to homes, about 7,000 from refugee camps remain on beaches; Rashidiyeh refu-gee camp virtually destroyed; International Committee of the Red Cross reports "heavy damage" in Tyre, Sidon and that 1,200 Sidon residents urgently need medical attention. Israel reports 31 dead, 144 wounded.

Political Responses:

Israel/Occupied Territories: Israeli government blames Syria for provoking Israeli raid; still bars foreign journalists from coastal areas of southern Lebanon; Israel warns Jor-dan to stay out of fighting.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: Arafat urgently appeals to Arab countries to end the "massacre of the Palestinian people in Lebanon"; Palestinian group, reportedly followers of anti-PLO leader Abu Nidal, claim role in Argov shooting in statement delivered to Beirut AP office; Lebanese radio says Israel occupies 25 percent of Lebanese territory; Lebanese government meets, debates proposal to send Lebanese Army into West Beirut; Christian and Muslim groups urge support for Sarkis and Franjieh offers to put militia under Sarkis; Gemayel urges national unity government.

Arab Governments: Iraq announces it will withdraw from all Iranian territory in a week, redirect its efforts against Israel; Syria begins pulling troops out of Beirut back into Bekaa; Jordan's Prime Minister announces Jordan will allow transit facilities for any wishing to travel to Lebanon to fight Israel; Syria reportedly prepares to mobilize reserves; Kuwait, UAE and Qatar issue statements denouncing invasion.

US and Other Countries: US vetoes UN reso-lution condemning Israel as "unbalanced"; Reagan announces he will seek $25 m. in emergency aid for Lebanon from Congress; EEC foreign ministers condemn Israeli invasion; USSR plans to send medical supplies to Lebanon in a few days; Canada, France, Netherlands and the UK urge their citizens to leave West Beirut.