The Israeli Invasion of Lebanon : Introduction To The Region

It soon became apparent that the June 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon, called Operation Peace for Galilee by Defense Minister Ariel Sharon, had objectives of crushing the PLO that went beyond its originally stated goal of creating a buffer zone against shelling of the Galilee. Begin and Sharon had embarked on the first Israeli war waged by choice, and the first that faced widespread domestic opposition.

When the Israeli army, after surrounding the PLO in Beirut, began shelling the city at an enormous civilian cost, Israeli citizens joined in a world-wide chorus of condemnation. With the massacre of civilians at the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps by Lebanese Christian Phalangists operating in Israeli-controlled territory, Israel’s political position eroded even further. Under an agreement negotiated by the United States, most fighting ended in 1983. But Israel, worried about the Syrian presence and Shi’i harassment, did not fully withdraw until 1985, and continues to maintain a strip of southern Lebanese territory as a security zone.