1982 Lebanon War

1982 Lebanon War
Conflict	1982 Lebanon War
Partof	the Israeli–Palestinian conflict and the Lebanese Civil War
Date	6 June – 5 September 1982
Place	Southern Lebanon, Beirut
Result	Israeli military victory, PLO expulsion from Lebanon
Combatant1	Israel, Lebanese Forces, South Lebanon Army
Combatant2	Palestine Liberation Organization, Syria, Amal Movement, Progressive Socialist Party
Commander1	Menachem Begin, Ariel Sharon, Rafael Eitan, Bashir Gemayel
Commander2	Yasser Arafat, Hafez al-Assad, Mustafa Tlass, Nabih Berri

1982 Lebanon War. The 1982 Lebanon War, known in Israel as Operation Peace for Galilee, was a major military conflict initiated by the Israel Defense Forces against the Palestine Liberation Organization and Syrian forces in Lebanon. The primary stated aim was to end the threat of Palestinian fedayeen cross-border attacks from Southern Lebanon. The war culminated in a prolonged Siege of Beirut, the evacuation of the PLO leadership to Tunis, and had profound, lasting consequences for the region's political landscape.

Background and causes

The roots of the conflict lay in the protracted Lebanese Civil War, which had drawn in numerous factions including the PLO, Syrian Army, and various Lebanese Front militias. Following the 1978 South Lebanon conflict and Operation Litani, the PLO continued to operate from bases in Beirut and Southern Lebanon, launching attacks into northern Israel. The election of Menachem Begin and the appointment of Ariel Sharon as Minister of Defense signaled a more aggressive Israeli security policy. A key catalyst was the Abu Nidal assassination attempt on Shlomo Argov, the Israeli ambassador to the United Kingdom, although the attack was not carried out by the mainstream PLO under Yasser Arafat. Israeli leadership sought to destroy the PLO's infrastructure, alter the balance of power in Lebanon by expelling Syrian forces, and install a friendly government under Bashir Gemayel of the Lebanese Forces.

Invasion and initial operations

On 6 June 1982, the Israel Defense Forces launched a massive ground, air, and naval invasion, advancing quickly along the coast toward Beirut and engaging Syrian forces in the Bekaa Valley. Key early battles included the Battle of Jezzine and the Battle of the Beaufort, where the IDF captured the historic Beaufort Castle from the PLO. In a decisive air engagement, the Israeli Air Force destroyed dozens of Syrian Air Force MiG-21 and MiG-23 aircraft in the Bekaa Valley air strike, establishing air supremacy. Israeli armored columns, coordinated by Chief of Staff Rafael Eitan, encircled West Beirut by 13 June, trapping PLO forces and elements of the Syrian Army.

Siege of Beirut

The Siege of Beirut lasted from mid-June to late August, with the IDF subjecting West Beirut to intense aerial bombardment and artillery fire. United States envoy Philip Habib led diplomatic efforts to negotiate a peaceful evacuation of PLO fighters. The siege caused significant civilian casualties and widespread destruction in neighborhoods like Fakhani district. An agreement was finally reached, and a multinational force including United States Marines, French Army troops, and Italian Army units oversaw the evacuation of Yasser Arafat and nearly 15,000 Palestinian fedayeen to various Arab countries, primarily Tunis. Shortly after, Bashir Gemayel was elected President of Lebanon but was assassinated in September by Habib Shartouni, a member of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party.

Aftermath and consequences

The immediate aftermath was marked by the Sabra and Shatila massacre, where Lebanese Forces militiamen entered the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps and killed hundreds of Palestinian civilians. An Israeli commission of inquiry, the Kahan Commission, later found Ariel Sharon indirectly responsible. Israel achieved its short-term goal of removing the PLO military threat from its northern border. However, the IDF remained entrenched in Southern Lebanon, eventually leading to the prolonged South Lebanon conflict (1985–2000). The war also catalyzed the formation of the Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine and the rise of Hezbollah, which was founded with support from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran.

International involvement and diplomacy

The conflict drew significant international attention and intervention. The United Nations Security Council passed United Nations Security Council Resolution 508 and United Nations Security Council Resolution 509, calling for a ceasefire and withdrawal. The United States, under President Ronald Reagan and Secretary of State Alexander Haig (later George P. Shultz), played a central diplomatic role, culminating in the Habib Agreement for the PLO evacuation. The multinational force returned after the assassination of Bashir Gemayel but was targeted in the 1983 Beirut barracks bombings, which killed 241 United States Marine Corps personnel and 58 French Paratroopers. The Soviet Union provided military support to Syria but was limited in its direct involvement.

Legacy and historical assessment

The war is widely considered a strategic and political failure for Israel, despite its tactical military successes. It failed to bring lasting peace to Galilee and instead entrenched a costly occupation in Southern Lebanon. The conflict severely destabilized Lebanon, exacerbating sectarian divisions. It transformed Hezbollah into a potent adversary for the IDF. Domestically in Israel, the war sparked massive protests by groups like Peace Now and led to a period of national introspection known as "The Lebanon War". Historians often view it as a pivotal, tragic chapter in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict that reshaped militant ideologies and regional alliances for decades.

Category:Wars involving Israel Category:Lebanese Civil War Category:1982 in Lebanon Category:1982 in Israel