Israeli authorities insist that their intervening ground forces in Lebanon are undertaking “restricted, constrained, and precise” operations. Details about the number of personnel that crossed the Lebanese border and how far into the nation they have progressed, however, have not been disclosed.
The Israeli military has augmented its commando units that entered Lebanon on Monday with infantry and armoured brigades from the 36th Division and an artillery unit. Furthermore, a directive has been issued for 27 villages situated between the border and the Litani river, which spans 40 kilometres northward, to be evacuated.
Israel’s bombardment of southern Lebanon, Beirut, and the Bekaa Valley, along with its regiment deployments and evacuation orders, demonstrate the magnitude of what it dubs “restricted” interventions. These actions suggest the possible transition to an all-out occupation akin to the 1982 Peace for Galilee campaign. This operation, like the current actions, aimed at ensuring the security of Israelis residing in the country’s northern regions.
Indeed, on June 6th, forces entered Lebanon to repel Palestinian militants within the border-Litani zone, which is once again a battleground, this time with Hizbullah. Despite a US-mediated truce in July 1981, Israeli defence minister Ariel Sharon prepared assault troops in the February-March period and put up a backup plan for prime minister Menachem Begin—known as Little Pines—to reach the Litani river. Following the crossing of the Israeli forces, Sharon moved them to Beirut in accordance with his Big Pines strategy.
The Dahiyeh region in Beirut, previously lively and vibrant, now stands deserted.
Israel’s approach in this conflict is reminiscent of the 1982 Lebanon invasion.
The conflict in Gaza has amassed a growing death toll, with 99 Palestinians killed and 169 wounded in just one day. Southern towns in Lebanon have been asked to vacate their homes amidst ongoing airstrikes on Beirut.
The Israeli army journeyed alongside the coastline to the capital, evacuating Palestinian refugee camps as they proceeded. They rained missiles onto the Palestinian Liberation Organisation’s (PLO) base in southern Beirut and sieged and barraged the city’s western part. In mid-August, American president Ronald Reagan demanded that Begin terminate the bombardment of Beirut, which concluded within 20 minutes, albeit the conflict persisted.
Sharon’s main objectives were to eject the PLO and its militants from Lebanon, install pro-Israeli Maronite Christian Phalangist leader Bashir Gemayel as the president, and coerce Beirut into inking a peace accord with Israel.
While Sharon was successful in achieving his initial goal, he did not meet the rest of his objectives. The dream of a peace treaty ended abruptly when Gemayel was assassinated on the 14th of September. Following his death, Phalangist combatants invaded the Palestinian-Lebanese Shia Beirut districts of Sabra and Shatila to take revenge, slaughtering hundreds of the aging, women, and children, whilst the Israeli troops laid siege to the area. The brutal killings received heavy media attention and prompted widespread international denouncement, mandating the Israelis to conclude their campaign on the 29th of September and systematically retreat to the south.
In the aftermath of the war, vast Israeli anti-war demonstrations ensued and an official inquiry led to Sharon’s obligated resignation from the position of defence minister in 1983.
The war residues paved the way for Hizbullah, with Iran’s support, who succeeded in expelling Israel and its associated militia from Southern Lebanon in 2000 and humiliating the Israeli military during its last aggression in 2006.