Sabra and Shatila massacres
September 1982 massacre of Palestinian refugees in Beirut by Lebanese Christian Phalangists, facilitated by Israeli forces under Defense Minister Ariel Sharon.
The Sabra and Shatila massacres occurred on September 16 and 17, 1982, in the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps in Beirut, Lebanon. The massacres were carried out by Lebanese Christian militias (Phalangists) while the camps were surrounded by Israeli troops.
Sharon's Lebanon Invasion Plan
Ariel Sharon's plan for the invasion of Lebanon involved the IDF serving as an anti-Syrian blocking force while its Lebanese Christian allies, the Phalangists, cleaned out the city of PLO followers. However, the Phalangists failed to move, and the Israeli Air Force was called upon to begin the bombing of Beirut. Instead of victory, there was impasse, as five hundred Israeli soldiers were killed along with more than ten thousand Palestinians and Lebanese, some in the shocking massacre at the Palestinian refugee camps in Sabra and Shatila.2
Advance Warning and Israeli Knowledge
According to Ari Ben-Menashe, Ariel Sharon, then Israeli Defense Minister, was aware in advance that the massacres were likely to happen. A letter from Pierre Gemayel, leader of the Christian forces, to Sharon indicated an intention to seek revenge for the assassination of his son, Bashir Gemayel, and that many Palestinians would die. This letter was delivered to Sharon's office and read by Moshe Hebroni and Sagi.1
Israeli Military Role
Despite this foreknowledge, Israeli troops allowed the Phalangist forces into the camps and sealed off the area, preventing Palestinians from escaping. A commission of inquiry, headed by Supreme Court Justice Yitzhak Kahan, found that while the Israeli government was not directly involved, it was warned and took no action to prevent the tragedy. The full report of the commission, though highly classified, indicated that Sharon had seen the warning letter.1
Political Consequences
As a result of the inquiry, Maj. Gen. Sagi was removed from his position, and Ariel Sharon was forced to resign as Defense Minister, replaced by Moshe Arens. Moshe Hebroni was allowed a three-month period as head of branch in the External Relations Department, during which he could remove any incriminating documentation.1
Sources
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