Outcast, Isolated and Running Out of Time

DR. ABDUL AZIZ RANTISI, THE SPOKESMAN FOR 415 Palestinians expelled by Israel three weeks ago, looked out over the wintry landscape of the deportees' tent camp in southern Lebanon. "This is the first time most of us have seen snow," he said. "It would be beautiful if this weren't so tragic."

Each attempt to find a solution to the exiles' predicament -- or at least to provide them temporary relief -- was going nowhere. France offered to dispatch doctors to check the health of the men, who were deported for allegedly inciting Muslim fundamentalist violence. Both Israel and Lebanon, which refuses to absorb the exiles, said no. Israel said it would let the Red Cross ferry relief supplies to the group through Israeli-controlled southern Lebanon if the Lebanese would permit a simultaneous shipment through their territory. Beirut said no. Visiting U.N. Under Secretary-General James Jonah wasn't even allowed to go to the camp of the deportees because neither side was willing to grant him passage.

Still, the group managed to scrape by, thanks to food and fuel supplies smuggled to them by sympathetic villagers in Lebanon. Meanwhile Israeli officials admitted that they had expelled 10 of the men by mistake, but added that nine would face charges should they return. Reiterating that they would not take the exiles back, the Israelis suggested that the men be resettled in a third country, perhaps in Europe or the Arab world. A number of deportees said they would stick it out in their camp until they were allowed home. But the snow was piling up. (See related story on page 22.)