TWO JORDANIAN MILITARY PLANES LANDED AT BEIRUT AIRPORT WEDNESDAY, CARRYING A FIELD HOSPITAL AND MEDICAL AID TO TREAT PEOPLE WOUNDED IN THE ISRAELI BOMBARDMENT OF LEBANON, AIRPORT OFFICIALS SAID. A THIRD PLANE BEARING MILITARY ENGINEERS TO HELP REPAIR THE AIRPORT'S RUNWAYS WAS SCHEDULED TO ARRIVE LATER IN THE DAY. THE THREE PLANES WERE SCHEDULED TO RETURN TO JORDAN LATE WEDNESDAY CARRYING A TOTAL OF ABOUT 150 CRITICALLY WOUNDED LEBANESE WHO REQUIRE HOSPITAL TREATMENT. THE PLANES WERE THE FIRST TO LAND SINCE JULY 13 WHEN THE AIRPORT WAS CLOSED AFTER ISRAELI FIGHTER-BOMBERS BLASTED ITS THREE RUNWAYS. THE CLOSURE CAME A DAY AFTER ISRAEL BEGAN ITS MILITARY OFFENSIVE ON LEBANON. JORDANIAN CHARGE D'AFFAIRES MOHAMMED AL-FAYEZ TOLD REPORTERS AT THE AIRPORT THAT THE PLANES WERE SENT BY KING ABDULLAH II «TO HELP THE LEBANESE PEOPLE IN THEIR CURRENT CRISIS.» IN JORDAN, KING ABDULLAH TOLD A MEETING TO DISCUSS NATIONAL REFORM: «(WE) WERE ABLE, THANK GOD, TO OVERCOME THE AIR BLOCKADE IMPOSED ON LEBANON.» A STATEMENT ISSUED BY JORDAN'S ROYAL PALACE SAID THE MOBILE FIELD HOSPITAL WOULD BE OPERATING IN BEIRUT. A SECOND ROYAL JORDANIAN AIRFORCE PLANE WAS CARRYING AN UNSPECIFIED QUANTITY OF MEDICAL EQUIPMENT FOR LEBANON, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS REPORTED.
