Operation Peace of the Galilee

Lexicon of Terms

An armored personnel carrier ascending the Beaufort outpost in Lebanon, June 8, 1982.

Operation Peace of the Galilee

Operation Peace of the Galilee, also known as the (first) Lebanon War, began on June 6th 1982 and ended in June 1985, upon the retreat of IDF forces from within Lebanon to form the secured buffer zone. The invasion into Lebanese territory was intended for the destruction of the PLO's infrastructure in South Lebanon; the organization's bases were a source for Katyusha attacks towards Northern Israel and they housed terrorists that would infiltrate into Israel. Minister of Defense Ariel Sharon believed a swift operation will remove the PLO from South Lebanon and destroy its operational capabilities. As the war progressed its goals changed and the IDF continued to move further north than the 40 kilometers agreed on at first, continuing to remove all PLO cells from Lebanon.

The operational orders given to the forces invading Lebanon were to destroy all of the PLO's commanding posts and to avoid confrontation with Syrian forces in the Beqaa Valley. However, a confrontation with Syria developed on June 9th and was mainly centered on air battles. Several days later an Israeli-Syrian ceasefire came into effect, while IDF forces were within a mere 3 kilometers south of Beirut Airport. The ceasefire did not stop the IDF actions against the PLO.

Beirut was placed under siege from July and until mid-August, aimed at forcing the Syrian and Palestinian forces to evacuate the city. PLO posts were bombed by the IDF during this period from land, air and sea, attacking progressively towards the western parts of the city. On August 11th and 12th, the Israeli Air Force attacked Beirut massively, allowing the PLO to retreat from the city the following day while accompanied by an international force. The evacuation of Palestinian and Syrian forces from Beirut was completed on September 4th.

However, President of Lebanon Bachir Gemayel, an ally of Israel, was assassinated on September 14th and the IDF besieged West Beirut. The Christian Phalange Forces accompanied and assisted the IDF, and on September 16th, they entered the refugee camps of Sabra and Shatila and massacred the Palestinians. Several hundreds of Palestinians were killed, causing great shock worldwide and bringing about Israel's withdrawal from Beirut under pressure of the United States. In Israel, the massacre brought the political argument to its climax, eventually leading to the establishment of an official inquiry commission to investigate the events leading to the massacre at Sabra and Shatila (the Kahan Commission). The commission recommended that Minister of Defense Ariel Sharon resign from his post. The government conceded with the report and Sharon agreed to become a minister without portfolio.

The refusal of Amine Gemayel (the brother of Bachir Gemayel and his successor) to cooperate with Israel increased the number of lost lives due to the (mostly Shi'ite) terrorist acts. Budgetary difficulties and the formation of the National Unity Government led Israel to withdraw from Lebanon. The IDF officially withdrew to the international border in June 1985, but it continued to claim its right to hold patrols and defensive acts in the area, while supporting the local, Christian, South Lebanese Army.

The Lebanon War harmed Israel's image around the world and only the government of the United States continued to show its support, however reserved. Most news reports on the war expressed anti-Israeli opinions. Within Israel, the war caused political turbulence: Some objected to it, claiming that for the first time Israel fought an unnecessary war that was not forced on her. Others, holding center-right views, thought the war was a just one and that those with leftist views harmed the war effort by criticizing it. Thought at the beginning of the war Prime Minister Begin took pride in the accomplishments of the IDF, he resigned from his post in September 1983 due to his sense of responsibility for the lives of the lost soldiers. He was replaced by Yitzhak Shamir.

As a consequence of the War, the PLO was driven out of most of Lebanon. The South Lebanese Army was established, aiding the IDF, and the Syrian army was severely impaired, almost completely stopping the shooting of Katyushas. On the other hand, thousands of terrorists were released in exchange for captives and the long period that the IDF occupied South Lebanon caused excessive loss of lives. The IDF was also influenced by its difficulty in facing Hezbollah's terrorist acts, which caused a decrease in its deterrence capability.

In the year 2000, Prime Minister Ehud Barak ordered for the IDF to withdraw from South Lebanon to the international border. His order was given, among other reasons, due to wide public pressure. In the summer of 2006, the Second Lebanon War broke out: The Katyusha attacks on northern Israel were renewed and the IDF confronted Hezbollah forces in South Lebanon. The security of northern settlements in Israel, firing of Katyushas from within Lebanon and the repeated invasion attempts of terrorists from Lebanon – these continue to be an integral part of the defensive and political agendas of Israel.