Sabra and Shatila massacre

The 1982 mass killing of Palestinian and Lebanese civilians in Beirut’s Sabra and Shatila refugee camps by Lebanese Christian militiamen, during Israel’s invasion of Lebanon.

Lebanese Civil War: A 1975–1990 conflict involving Lebanese factions and foreign forces, marked by shifting alliances and sectarian violence. The massacre occurred within this war’s struggle over Lebanon’s political order and Palestinian armed presence.
Phalange: A Lebanese Christian nationalist party whose armed wing became a major militia during the Lebanese Civil War. Members of the party’s militia entered the camps and carried out the killings.
Ariel Sharon: An Israeli military and political leader who served as defense minister during the 1982 Lebanon War. The Kahan Commission held Sharon personally responsible for disregarding the foreseeable danger to civilians.
War crime: A serious violation of the laws and customs of armed conflict that entails individual criminal responsibility. The killings raise questions about criminal responsibility for direct perpetrators and those who enabled them.
1982 Lebanon War: Israel’s 1982 invasion of Lebanon, aimed at Palestinian armed groups and culminating in the siege of Beirut. The invasion brought Israeli forces to West Beirut and created the conditions for the camps’ encirclement.
Israeli Defense Forces: Israel’s national military, which invaded Lebanon in 1982 and controlled areas around Beirut’s Palestinian camps. Israeli forces encircled the camps, permitted militia entry, and illuminated the area during the operation.
United Nations General Assembly Resolution 37/123: A 1982 United Nations General Assembly resolution that condemned the massacre and characterized it as an act of genocide. The resolution expressed international condemnation, though its genocide characterization remains disputed.
Command responsibility: A form of liability for commanders who knew or should have known of crimes by subordinates and failed to prevent or punish them. Debates about Israel’s role focus on responsibility for foreseeable violence by allied militia forces.
Palestinian refugees in Lebanon: Palestinians displaced to Lebanon, many living in camps after the 1948 Arab–Israeli war and subsequent expulsions. The camps’ largely Palestinian population was among the massacre’s victims.
Siege of Beirut: The Israeli encirclement and bombardment of Beirut in 1982, ending with the evacuation of Palestinian fighters. Its aftermath left civilians in the camps exposed after Palestinian fighters had departed.

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