Lebanon War (1982)

Israel's invaded Lebanon in 1982 in response to attacks launched by Palestinian terrorists based just across Israel's northern border. Prime Minister Menachem Begin ordered the operation.

Because more than 15,000 members of the Palestinian Liberation Organization were based in various locations in Lebanon, the area came to be called "Fatahland," after Yasser Arafat's Fatah faction in the PLO.

Israeli strikes and commando raids were unable to stem the growth of the PLO's army in the region and the frequency of attacks on Israelis in the Galilee became intolerable.

In June 1982, Palestinian terrorists led by Abu Nidal attempted to assassinate Israel's Ambassador to Great Britain, Shlomo Argov. In response, the Israel Defense Forces attacked Lebanon on June 4-5, 1982.

The PLO responded with massive artillery and mortar fire on the Galilee. On June 6, the IDF launched "Operation Peace for the Galilee" and moved into southern Lebanon.

The IDF eventually captured Beirut by 1985 had forced Yasser Arafat and the PLO out of Lebanon.

Although successful in this respect, the war was costly, with 1,216 Israeli soldiers killed between June 5, 1982 and May 31, 1985.

One of the darkest moments of the war was the Sabra and Shatila massacre in September 1982. Lebanese Maronite Christian militias in Beirut, which was at that time occupied by Israel, killed hundreds of Palestinians in the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps. (The exact numbers are disputed, as Israel puts the number at 700-800 Palestinians killed and the Palestinians claim more than 3,000 victims..) At the time, the camps were surrounded by IDF soldiers.

Israel created the Kahan Commission to investigate the incident. The commission's report found come Israeli military officials indirectly responsible for the killings, including Ariel Sharon, who was defense minister at the time, and called for him to be removed from his post.

In 1985, Israel withdrew from Lebanon but maintained a presence in an area extending some eight miles into the southern part of the country in an effort to help the South Lebanese Army.

But while the PLO was now out, the Syria- and Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorist group gained power in south Lebanon and stepped up attacks on Israel.

In April 1995, Prime Minister Shimon Peres instructed the IDF to launch "Operation Grapes of Wrath" to halt Hezbollah's artillery bombardment of Israel's northern frontier. During the operation, Israeli artillery mistakenly hit a UN base in Kafr Kana, killing nearly 100 civilians.

In May 24, 2000 Prime Minister Ehud Barak ordered the IDF to completely withdraw from southern Lebanon, ending Israel's 22-year military presence there.