Democratic Palestine : 17 (ص 4)
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- Democratic Palestine : 17 (ص 4)
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Diary of the Camp War
The Zionist invasion of Lebanon four years ago failed to achieve its stated aims. One of the signs of this
failure is that the Palestinians in the camps have been able to rearm themselves, for self-defense and for
contributing to the revolution. Reactionary sections of the Amal movement, however, have taken up where
the Zionists failed, provoking recurrent battles aimed at eliminating the Palestinian armed presence in
Beirut. Below we present a chronology of the latest round of fighting around the Sabra-Shatila and Bourj Al
Barajneh refugee camps, based on daily reports Democratic Palestine has received from Beirut.
On May 18th, the area around the
Palestinian camps was calm. Life went’
on as normal, although reactionary
forces in Amal had been continuously,
trying to create friction. Then, at 7
p.m., Hani Al Harakeh, one of these
reactionary elements, tried to murder a
Palestinian in Bourj Al Barajneh. Ten-
sion mounted and there was gunfire, but
the incident was contained.
The next day in the afternoon, Hani
Al Harakeh again proceeded to cause
friction around Bourj Al Barajneh.
Sniper fire was directed towards the
camp, and two Palestinians were
injured. In the evening, Amal concen-
trated a large number of forces on the
east side of Shatila and put up heavy
fortifications on the south side. There
was an attempt to reduce tension by the
follow-up committee which is composed
of Lebanese nationalists, representa-
tives of the Palestine National Salvation
Front, Amal and Syrian officers,
charged with observing the situation
around the camps. At 8 p.m. a hand
grenade was thrown into Shatila, inju-
ring two comrades of the PFLP. These
war preparations were coordinated with
an increase of tension around Bourj Al
Barajneh. At 7:30 p.m. clashes broke
out; light and medium weapons were
used, including mortars. A ceasefire was
reached but sniping continued from
Amal’s side, injuring six Palestinians.
On May 20th, the situation was rela-
tively calm despite ceasefire violations
by Amal forces around the camps.
However, Amal escalated tension in
West Beirut. Clashes occurred between
Amal and the Progressive Socialist
Party after the former murdered a local
PSP leader.
On May 21st, life returned to normal
around Bourj Al Barajneh, but several
grenades were thrown at Shatila. The
Palestine National Salvation Front
issued a communique, rejecting any
fighting within the nationalist ranks in
Lebanon, declaring that such side-
battles serve Amin Gemayel and the
Zionist-imperialist-fascist project. The
reactionary sections of Amal responded
to this communique the next day, by
shelling Shatila and reigniting the battle.
The security committee intervened to
stop the clashes.
On May 23rd, Amal continued forti-
fication of its positions around Shatila,
using reinforced concrete. Amal then
4
ignited a battle around Bourj Al
Barajneh, using all types of weapons. In
the afternoon, clashes began around
Shatila, the ceasefire having been shat-
tered by Amal’s repeated violations.
Amal continued its fortifications
work around Shatila on May 24th,
bringing in truckloads of sand. At 4
p.m. Amal gunfire murdered a Palesti-
nian child, Ali Yahya Zamzam, nine
years old. Tension mounted; clashes
erupted and continued the next day. On
the 26th of May, there was heavy figh-
ting around Bourj Al Barjneh, and the
Palestinian forces gained some posi-
tions. In West Beirut, Amal continued
its harassment of the non-Shiite popu-
lation. In a press communique, the
popular committee of Bourj Al
Barajneh declared that the ongoing ten-
sion was the result of Amal’s shelling the
camp, and that Amal had not honored
the ceasefire. The popular committee
charged that Amal had prepared a plot
against the camps.
Fighting continued on May 27th.
Amal escalated the battle, using tanks,
82mm mortars and 23mm machine
guns. The Palestinian fighters continued
to defend the camps, united in their
determination to confront all aggres-
sion. Amal continued heavy shelling the
next day, rupturing all ceasefire agree-
ments. Bourj Al Barajneh was shelled in
the late afternoon with heavy mortars.
(60, 82, 120mm), 106mm artillery and
RPG’s, from Amal tank positions on
the northeast side of the camp. Amal
also escalated tension in West Beirut,
especially with the February 6th
Movement. The popular committee of
Sabra-Shatila issued a communique
stressing that the Palestinians in the
camps are part of the nationalist ranks,
and the Palestinian armed presence in
Beirut is only a threat to the Zionist-
imperialist-fascist project. The popular
committee also stressed the Palesti-
nians’ right to defend themselves, and
called on Amal to honor the ceasefire.
They called on the nationalist forces to
work to put an end to the war.
Amal’s aggression continued on
May 29-30th. Amal moreover tightened
the siege around the camps, preventing
medical personnel from evacuating the
dead and wounded. Nonetheless,
reports from the camps described the
Palestinians’ morale as high. On May
30th, there were clashes between Amal
and Hezbollah, as Amal attempted to
assert its hegemony in West Beirut.
March 31st began with heavy shelling
of the camps, as Amal prepared to
advance. At 6 a.m., after two hours of
intense shelling, the reactionary forces
of Amal tried to advance in a coordi-
nated attack on all fronts. The heroic
Palestinian forces not only repelled
Amal’s attack, but also improved their
own positions. Amal’s fighters
retreated, having suffered casualties.
Losses were heavy on both sides. There
were six Palestinians martyred and 67
injured.
The camp war continued on June Ist.
The buffer force was unable to take its
positions because of Amal’s continued
aggression. Palestinian losses were one
martyr and 23 injured. A new element
was injected when clashes broke out in
West Beirut, between the February 6th
Movement and Amal, showing Amal’s
intention to put down any force not wil-
ling to submit to its hegemony.
Amal continued its aggression on
June 2nd. Mortar fire and sniping
around Shatila grew into intense figh-
ting as the day wore on. Palestinian
losses were four martyrs and 27 injured.
The clashes in West Beirut intensified as
Amal attacked the February 6th
Movement and the PSP. The Palestine
National Salvation Front distributed the
third issue of its new daily entitled
Steadfastness of the Camps.
On June 3rd, there was a relative
decline in the fighting around the
camps, while the battle in West Beirut
made the headlines. Fighting broke out
between the parties of the Lebanese
national movement on the one hand and
Amal on the other, using all weapons.
By the next day, Amal had taken control
of the disputed areas of West Beirut, for
it has superior fire power due to the
support it has received from regional
forces and its alliance with the Lebanese
Army 6th Brigade which is stationed in
West Beirut. In the aftermath, Amal
militiamen swept through the areas
where the battle had raged, looting and
kidnapping innocent citizens. The
homes of Palestinians living outside the
camps were stormed. Fighting intensi-
fied around the camps again; three
Palestinians were martyred and eight
injured. Heavy fighting continued
around the camps June 5-6th. The
Palestinian forces continued to exhibit - هو جزء من
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