Israeli forces invade Lebanon

United Nations reporting identified 21 April 1982 as a serious breach of the July 1981 ceasefire in the Israel–Lebanon sector. The incident exposed the fragility of the arrangement, while Lebanese...

UN reporting identified another serious breach on 9 May 1982. The renewed violence occurred amid unresolved disputes over the PLO presence in Lebanon and Israeli military actions. The escalation...

Members of the Abu Nidal Organisation, a Palestinian group opposed to the PLO, attempted to assassinate Israeli ambassador Shlomo Argov in London. Israel invoked the attack in the crisis preceding its...

Israeli air strikes in the Beirut area were followed by intensive exchanges of fire involving PLO and Lebanese National Movement forces and Israeli forces and their local allies. The UN appealed for a...

Security Council Resolution 508 called for all military activities in Lebanon and across the border to cease by 06:00 local time on 6 June. The PLO affirmed a commitment to halt cross-border...

By mid-June Israeli forces had surrounded Beirut after advancing through Lebanon. PLO and allied Lebanese fighters defended positions; residents endured shelling, displacement and shortages. The siege...

The Arab League announced that the PLO had decided to remove its armed forces from Beirut subject to arrangements and safeguards for departure and civilian protection. The decision followed a...

The Security Council authorized deployment of UN observers to monitor the situation in and around Beirut as the siege continued. Observation was distinct from a combat mission and did not by itself...

A ceasefire came into effect on 12 August after intense fighting and bombardment. The agreement helped set the stage for negotiated departure of Palestinian armed personnel, but did not settle...

The withdrawal of Palestinian fighters from Beirut began under a negotiated arrangement overseen by a multinational force. From the perspective of the PLO, the evacuation preserved its leadership...