1980s Lebanon

• 1982: PLO attempted to murder Israeli ambassador in London, so Israel re-invaded Lebanon (‘Operation Peace for Galilee’), UN could not control; 1000s of Lebanese civilians killed (and PLO members)
• Israel continued advance and surrounded Beirut, keeping city under constant shellfire for 2 months (from air, sea and land), killing 1000s of civilians to try dislodge Palestinians
• US intervened to stop it, made agreement for PLO fighters to be evacuated and 14,000 PLO members left for other Arab states (Arafat moved his headquarters to Tunisia)
• 1985: Israelis withdrew to southern Lebanon (were they were routinely attacked) and eventually altogether, apart from a small “security zone” due to internal pressure
• Defeat for Israel, there were protests (400,000-strong protest) after they allowed armed supporters of Christian President to massacre in Lebanese refugee camps
• Throughout, Civil War continued, western journalists and relief workers were taken hostage by various groups as reprisals or to force concessions or prisoner release