10,000-13,000 Lebanese Army troops cordon off 14 sq. km. area around Hayy al-Sollom and Burj al-Barajneh, begin sweep against Muslim militias, heavy fighting from dawn to...
Gunmen fire from car at Amal supporters putting up posters of Imam Musa Sadr in Burj al-Barajneh, Lebanese Army unit sent in, sets up roadblocks, small arms battle begins...
IDF concentrates tanks near Museum, Galerie Semaan, port crossings into West Beirut as armor inches closer to Palestinian refugee camps on southern outskirts of city (PLO...
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Military Action:
10,000-13,000 Lebanese Army troops cordon off 14 sq. km. area around Hayy al-Sollom and Burj al-Barajneh, begin sweep against Muslim militias, heavy fighting from dawn to noon, Army occupies 2 sq. km., claims to have captured Amal HQin Burj al-Barajneh; Druze gunners in Upper Metn fire artillery and rockets at East Beirut and industrial areas, and in support of Amal militia; US Marines come under fire, use 155 mm artillery, 81 mm mortars, rockets from Cobra helicopter gunships against Shi'ite positions near airport and in foothills; Amal militia drives Lebanese Army from garrison and checkpoints in West Beirut, Mourabitoun militia takes control of streets; Amal takes over Beirut TV station; snipers posted on rooftops, firing continues throughout day and evening.
Casualties:
2 US Marines killed, 14 wounded by mortar fire; 11 Lebanese soldiers killed, 60 wounded, estimated 12-50 kidnapped; civilian casualties estimated at 20 dead, 100+ wounded, 1 Lebanese Air Force fighter bomber destroyed at airport, 2 damaged; 2-4 Lebanese Army APCs, several tanks captured.
Political Responses:
PalestiniansI Lebanese: Gemayel convenes emergency session of Cabinet; Amal leader Nabih Berri says he wants no problems with US, denies that US positions were fired on by Amal militia.
US and Other Countries: Reagan accepts recommendation of crisis management group, headed by VP Bush, that there is no need to expand size or change role of US force in Lebanon; members of Congress press for declaration that fighting in Lebanon triggers provisions of War Powers Resolution; White House says attack on Marines was outgrowth of Syria's refusal to withdraw its troops and Syrian influence over Lebanese factions.
UN: 10-day Conference on Palestine opens under heavy security in Geneva, more than 90 countries participate, US, Canada, Israel boycott.
Military Action:
Gunmen fire from car at Amal supporters putting up posters of Imam Musa Sadr in Burj al-Barajneh, Lebanese Army unit sent in, sets up roadblocks, small arms battle begins between Amal militia and Army, continues through evening; Amal seizes Army APC with 5 soldiers, tries to storm building at Lebanese University south of Beirut; heavy sniper fire in streets of south Beirut suburbs; mortars and rockets hit airport; US Marine position at Hayy al-Sollom, east of airport, comes under RPG and semi-automatic weapons fire for 90 minutes, Marines return fire for first time with M-16s and M-60 machine guns; bomb explodes as IDF patrol passes near Aley.
Israel/ Occupied Territories: Begin tells Cabinet he intends to resign.
US and Other Countries: Pentagon says Marines in Lebanon returned fire on confirmed targets, decision was consistent with policy giving authority to fire back if directly threatened.
Military Action:
IDF concentrates tanks near Museum, Galerie Semaan, port crossings into West Beirut as armor inches closer to Palestinian refugee camps on southern outskirts of city (PLO accuses IDF of breaking cease-fire with tank movements made under cover of artillery fire; entire IDF armored brigade stationed at Museum crossing; IDF exchange artillery fire with PLO units in Burj al-Barajneh, Lailake, Hayy al-Sollom); IDF commander Drori warns West Beirut residents to "leave before it is too late"; fears of all-out IDF assault rise as IDF stops work in port, orders dockers to go home (reports suggest IDF may try to cut PLO forces in two with thrust from Museum area to port area); IDF takes Mreigi, parts of Hayy al-Sollom; only 50 yards separate IDF/ PLO units along coastal road south of city; IDF asks ICRC to sponsor, assist evacuation of babies, pregnant women from West Beirut (Meridor says Israel has received no reply); PLO fires 5 rockets at Jounieh; PLO ambush near Litani River; light fire directed at IDF positions near Lake Karoun (IDF restricts movements of Mansoura villagers, claiming some cooperate with PLO).
Casualties:
Casualties estimated by Lebanese police at 238 dead, about 480 wounded (PLO says only 20-30 guerrillas killed; police-monitored death toll since June 4 now put at 3,541 for Beirut and 11,050 for all of Lebanon); Lebanese gendarmerie says 963 Palestinians and Lebanese killed, 2,013 wounded during July, most of them civilians; Fakhani area devastated; poor Palestinians, Lebanese unable to buy excessively-priced food; fuel running low; Berbir Hospital hit again (has lost 75 percent of staff); fires burn out of control; hospitals overcrowded (staff asks patients able to walk to leave right after being treated to make room; many linger as they have no homes to return to); most streets impassable; IDF claims 7,400 "terrorists" captured since start of war (ICRC says it has visited only 490 at Ansar camp); 2 IDF soldiers wounded in PLO ambush near Litani.
Political Responses:
Israel/ Occupied Territories: Israeli officials assert PLO will only leave Beirut if military pressure applied; Begin meets with US Assistant Secretary of State Morris Draper to discuss progress of negotiations (after meeting, Israeli officials claim there is still no firm PLO commitment to evacuate Beirut); Meridor (Israeli official in charge of humanitarian programs in southern Lebanon) says Israel will object to any Palestinian refugee camps within 25 miles of the Israeli border, suggests Palestinian refugees be dispersed throughout the country; Israel delays acceptance of UN resolution on cease-fire observers (PLO states willingness to cooperate).
Palestinians/ Lebanese: Habib confers with Sarkis, later with Lebanese general on withdrawal timetable, general later confers with PLO negotiator; Salam expresses anger at US, Reagan after touring damaged areas, decries IDF use of phosphorus bombs, destruction of pine forest in center of city; Jumblatt, touring Fakhani district, expresses fear Lebanon will be destroyed; PLO leader Hassan says PLO will leave Beirut, urges informal PLO-US dialogue to achieve overall peaceful settlement.
US and Other Countries: Reagan, in meeting with Shamir, bids Israel end fighting and allow food and medical supplies into Beirut; Shultz also meets with Shamir; Greece offers Arafat open invitation to live in Greece on temporary basis; Canadian ambassador to Beirut ordered to leave West Beirut by his government (last Western diplomat remaining in Beirut); Brezhnev sends personal message urging Reagan to halt Israeli attacks.
