The Palestine Chronology

UN special envoy Larsen returns to the Middle East to resolve ongoing claims that Israel has been violating Lebanon's border; says that once Israel guarantees its troops will no longer make forays across the blue line, UNIFIL troops will deploy throughout s. Lebanon. (NYT 7/8; al-Safir 7/14 in WNC 7/18; IRNA 7/15 in WNC 7/19)

In Lausanne, an Israeli Mossad agent who plead guilty on 7/3 to charges of entering Switzerland illegally in 1/98 to spy on a suspected Hizballah supporter is given a 1-yr. suspended sentence and is allowed to return to Israel. (WT 7/8; YA [Internet] 7/10; JP 7/14)

Social/Economic/Political:

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Israel-sponsored Federation of Village Leagues formally dissolved.

Arab World: Lebanese rival leaders arrive in Lausanne for reconciliation talks. Soviet 1st dep. premier Aliyev begins 3- day talks with Syrian leaders in Damascus.

Other Countries: Arafat meets with Chinese Pres. Li Xiannian in Amman, accepting invitation to visit China in April. PLO sports and youth organization in Tunis announces hopes for Palestinian team participation in Los Angeles Olympics.

Military Action:

Arab World: Israeli public works engineer dies of injuries suffered in ambush while working for IDF in S. Lebanon.

Social/Economic/Political:

Occupied Palestine/Israel: 21 women inmates begin new hunger strike to protest rights violations at Neve Terza prison.

Arab World: Gemayel announces plan to meet opposition representatives at Lausanne. Syrian cabinet resigns at Pres. Assad's request.

Other Countries: From Brussels, Spain's PM Felipe Gonzalez Marquez expresses interest in diplomatic relations with Israel, and hope it might contribute to peaceful solution in Middle East; reveals that, on recent visit to Riyadh, Saudi gov't. applied no pressure not to recognize Israel. US Federal Communications Commission rejects petition by "Americans for a Safe Israel" to deny license renewal of 7 NBC stations in New England for "distorting" news of Israeli invasion of Lebanon.

Military Action:

Occupied Palestine/Israel: Bullet-filled petrol bomb thrown at Israeli patrol near Ramallah; no injuries. Petrol bomb thrown at home of Kalandiya village mukhtar. 1 passenger slightly wounded on Egged bus stoned near Eizariya near Jerusalem.

Arab World: Lebanese man shot dead by IDF invaders, forcing way into Qana, S. Lebanon [HQ of Fijian UNIFIL battalion] amidst villager's protests. Israeli DM Arens inspects Sidon harbor area. IDF convoy carrying MK Sharon ambushed near Sidon; Sharon narrowly escapes injury as remote control device explodes.