Military Action:
IDF armored units, under artillery cover, invade West Beirut in apparent effort to cut off Palestinian areas south of city (tanks cross Green Line at Museum, head toward Hippodrome; IDF gunboat shelling sets fires in Palestinian areas south of city; IDF ground assault against PLO positions in Ouzai area; shelling of Ouzai, Jnah, Burj al-Barajneh; IDF jets make low-level passes over besieged city); two UN officers cross into West Beirut despite IDF opposition (one officer is American).
Casualties:
UN health officials warn of imminent danger of epidemic in West Beirut because of inadequate water supplies; two IDF officers killed; IDF casualties up to this week put at 295 dead, 1,800 wounded; fresh fruit and vegetables unobtainable in streets of West Beirut; ICRC reports 80 percent of hospital patients suffering from contagious diseases; many hospitals lack water, all using generators for electricity; eight of nine orphanages in Beirut destroyed by IDF shelling, bombs.
Political Responses:
Israel/ Occupied Territories: Israeli Druze meet Lebanese counterparts near Tiberias; Shamir, in Washington, rejects linking PLO withdrawal to wider accord on Palestinian problem.
Palestinians/ Lebanese: Lebanese Muslim leaders back PLO in pressing Habib to consider plan to allow simultaneous PLO evacuation as international peacekeeping forces are deployed; Wazzan meets with French ambassador over use of French troops; PLO, Lebanese military leaders meet with Wazzan to plan PLO evacuation details; Habib meets with Sarkis, Wazzan on withdrawal plans.
Arab Governments: Egyptian official says Egypt is abandoning aspects of Camp David accords dealing with Palestinian autonomy.
US and Other Countries: Habib reportedly sends "blistering" messages to Reagan warning negotiations may be scuttled by IDF undermining of cease-fire; Reagan again urges Israel not to enter West Beirut (Reagan later says escalating violence in Lebanon unacceptable); Shamir meets with members of Congress, tells them only IDF pressure will ensure PLO withdrawal from Beirut.
UN: UN announces cease-fire observer group formed from UN personnel in Beirut area, ordered to take up stations in areas "under Lebanese control" (this follows IDF refusal to let 30 soldiers of UN Truce Supervisory Organization-who had driven up from Israel-deploy inside Beirut).