Saturday, August 7, 1982

Military Action:

IDF, PLO forces clash with rockets, artillery, gunfire near airport and in Burj al-Barajneh; Mieh Mieh refugee camp near Sidon attacked by Phalangist forces, 40 houses burned; cease-fire broken with bazooka fire and snipers in the Museum area; IDF air force attacks PLO positions in Beirut, allegedly destroying a PLO headquarters.

Casualties:

Thousands continue to flee West Beirut, choking the one crossing left open (hundreds of Lebanese seeking to enter W. Beirut to bring out relatives and friends are barred by IDF); food, water, fuel, electricity remain cut off (UNICEF tells its personnel to leave); none of those leaving are being allowed to stay in East Beirut; only Lebanese, no Palestinians being allowed to leave (Phalange say this is at IDF orders); ICRC finally gets IDF permission for one truck of medicine, four of food to enter West Beirut.

Political Responses:

Israel/ Occupied Territories: Israel Committee Against the War in Lebanon sponsors march through Tel Aviv; Women Against the War begin vigil outside Begin offices; Israel confirms receiving substantive proposal on withdrawal.

Palestinians/ Lebanese: Amin Gemayel (Bashir's brother) enters West Beirut, says war needs to stop; PLO reportedly prepared to leave Beirut as Syria agrees to accept guerrillas; Wazzan, after meeting Habib, is optimistic evacuation will begin in a few days; Camille Chamoun says presidential elections cannot take place until crisis resolved; effort to reconcile B. Gemayel, Jumblatt fails.

Arab Governments: Syria, Egypt reportedly offer refuge to PLO guerrillas (Egypt's foreign minister later says PLO withdrawal must be preceded by establishment of a global resolution of the Palestinian problem); Arab governments reluctant to accept substantial numbers of guerrillas; PLO expresses anger at this hesitation to accept trapped fighters.

US and Other Countries: US officials say difference between US and Israel may affect military and economic ties (US seeks Saudi and Jordanian participation in Camp David); in Munich, West Germany 1,000 protest against IDF attacks on Beirut; Nicaragua breaks relations with Israel; Italy and Greece offer peacekeeping troops.