Lebanese Civil War

The **Lebanese Civil War** (April 1975 – October 1990) was a conflict that was significantly worsened by Lebanon's changing demographics. Fighting was between the Islamic movements Sunnis and Shias, as well as Christians and Muslims. Involvement from external actors, such as Syria, Israel, and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), worsened and made the existing conflict more complicated, with the additional impact of the Palestinian-Israeli tensions slowly intertwining with the Lebanese Civil War. This was triggered by about 300,000 Palestinian individuals living in refugee camps at the Lebanese border. After a short break in the fighting in 1976 due to Arab League mediation and Syrian intervention, fighting continued in South Lebanon, first occupied by the PLO and after that by Israel.

Violent events increased from  the end of the 1960s and the first half of 1970s. Several armed movements were created, with different political views. The Lebanese National Movement, led by Kamal Jumblatt, wanted to end the religious class society system. Sunni and Shi'i struggled for more representation and supported the Palestinian refugees. Many Palestinians joined the struggles.

## Timeline

The civil war started on the 13<sup>th</sup> of April, 1975, after one of these attacks, committed by the Phalanges, a Maronite faction, against a Palestinian bus. This event was known as the Sidon bus massacre. Fights spread on that day. The government was unable to control the militias  and violence spread extremely quickly. The war lasted over 15 years and members of both Christian and Muslim militias repeatedly switched their loyalty among groups. The civil war is characterized as an intrasectarian war, rather than a religious one.

During the first two years of war, several massacres were committed: the massacre of Tel al-Za'atar (1976) by the Syrian and Lebanese Phalanges forces against Palestinians and the massacre of Damour (1976) by the Palestine Liberation Organization against Christians.

Civilian fighting lasted for a year until other countries joined in the fight. In 1976, Syria joined the conflict, and so the Lebanese civil war started to impact all the Middle-east region. Israel joined the conflict in 1976, because of the assassination attempt against the Israeli ambassador, Shlomo Argov. The Israeli army invaded the south of Lebanon and reached Sidon. According to the claims of the invaders and the leaders representing them, the intention of the invasion was to safeguard Israeli citizens and to generally diminish the threat of international terrorism.  This would mean a siege of West Sidon and destruction of the PLO as well as the surrounding area. At this time, Syrian forces also began occupying areas of Lebanon.

On May 17, 1977, a US-backed agreement was reached for making peace between Lebanon and Israel. The agreement failed when Syria refused to withdraw its forces.

## Casualties and consequences

About 120,000 people were killed during the war and almost one million people moved out of Lebanon.

The Lebanese Civil War had terrible results for the Lebanese people, society and economy as well as the Middle East in general.

## Infobox (military conflict)

- **conflict**: Lebanese Civil War
- **partof**: the Cold War and Arab Cold War
Arab–Israeli conflict, Arab–Israeli (Israeli–Lebanese conflict, Israeli–Lebanese, Israeli–Palestinian conflict, Israeli–Palestinian, and Israeli–Syrian conflict, Israeli–Syrian) conflicts
Iran–Israel proxy conflict, Iran–Israel, Iran–Saudi Arabia proxy conflict, Iran–Saudi, Iran–Iraq War, Iran–Iraq and Assadist–Saddamist conflict, Iraq–Syria proxy wars
- **image size**: 300px
- **caption**: **Left-to-right from top:**
The USS New Jersey (BB-62), USS _New Jersey_ firing a salvo off of the Lebanese coast; smoke seen rising from the ruins of the American barracks in Beirut shortly after the 1983 Beirut barracks bombings, 1983 bombing; a Palestinian rally for Fatah in Beirut
- **date**: 13 April 1975 – 13 October 1990
()
- **place**: Lebanon
- **territory**: • Syrian occupation of Lebanon, Syria occupies northern/eastern Lebanon until 30 April 2005.
 • Israeli occupation of Southern Lebanon, Israel occupies southern Lebanon until 25 May 2000
- **combatant1**:  **Lebanese Front**
*   Kataeb Regulatory Forces
*  Tigers Militia
*  Al-Tanzim
*  Guardians of the Cedars
*  Lebanese Youth Movement (MKG)
*  Tyous Team of Commandos
 **Lebanese Forces (militia), Lebanese Forces**
 **South Lebanon Army**
***'
(1978–1990)
---
 **Lebanese Armed Forces**
 **Supported by:**
 **United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, UNIFIL**
(1978–1990)
 **Multinational Force in Lebanon**
(1982–1984)
*  United States, USA
*  France
*  Italy
*  United Kingdom, UK
- **combatant2**: **Lebanese National Movement**
*  Progressive Socialist Party
*  Lebanese Communist Party
*  Syrian Social Nationalist Party in Lebanon, SSNP-L
*  Al-Mourabitoun
*  Communist Action Organization in Lebanon (CAOL)
*  Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party – Lebanon Region, Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party of Lebanon
*  Arab Socialist Action Party of Lebanon
*  Popular Nasserist Organization
*  Toilers League
*  Union of Working People's Forces-Corrective Movement, Nasserite Correctionist Movement

**Palestine Liberation Organization, PLO**
* Fatah
* Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, PFLP
* Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, DFLP
*   Palestinian Liberation Front
*  As-Sa'iqa
 **Lebanese Arab Army**
 **Lebanese National Resistance Front**
(1982-1990)
---
 **Ba'athist Syria, Syria**
(1976-1990)
 **Amal Movement**
 **Zgharta Liberation Army, Marada Brigade**
 **Arab Democratic Party (Lebanon), Arab Democratic Party**
 **Palestinian National Salvation Front, PNSF**
 **Supported by:**
 **Arab Deterrent Force**
(1976–1982)
*
* Sudan
*
* History of Libya under Muammar Gaddafi#Libyan Arab Republic (1969–1977), Libya
*
---
 **Hezbollah**
(1982–1990)
**Supported by:**
***'
---
 **Islamic Unification Movement**
(1982–1990)
- **commander1**: Bachir Gemayel
 Amine Gemayel
 William Hawi
  Camille Chamoun
 Dany Chamoun
 Georges Adwan
 Obad Zouein
  Fawzi Mahfouz
 Etienne Saqr
  Bachir el-Khoury
  Joseph Hanna
 Elie Hobeika
 Samir Geagea
 Fadi Frem
 Fouad Abou Nader
 Saad Haddad
 Antoine Barakat
 Antoine Lahad
 Menachem Begin
 Ariel Sharon
 Rafael Eitan
 Avigdor Ben-Gal
---
 Ibrahim Tannous
 Michel Aoun
- **commander2**: Kamal Jumblatt
 George Hawi
 Elias Atallah
 Inaam Raad
 Abdallah Saadeh
 Ibrahim Kulaylat
 Mohsen Ibrahim, Muhsin Ibrahim
 Assem Qanso
 Hussein Hamdan
 Maarouf Saad
 Zafer el-Khatib
  Issam al-Arab
 Yasser Arafat
  George Habash
  Nayef Hawatmeh
  Muhammad Zaidan, Abu Abbas
  Zuheir Mohsen

Ahmed al-Khatib
  Walid Jumblatt
---
 Hafez al-Assad
 Mustafa Tlass
 Hikmat al-Shihabi
 Ali Aslan
 Nabih Berri
 Suleiman Frangieh (politician, born 1965), Suleiman Frangieh
 Ali Eid
 Ahmed Jibril
 Said al-Muragha, Abu Musa
 Isam al-Qadi
---
 Subhi al-Tufayli
 Abbas al-Musawi
---
 Said Shaaban