Israel's Sabra & Shatila Massacre Remains Unpunished Since 1982

Palestinian associations prepare the commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the massacres in the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps, Lebanon, committed by Christian militias and the Israeli army between September 16 and 18, 1982.

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The attacks on civilians "do not expire with the passage of time and constitute a bloody stain on the history of humanity," Maan Bachour, the coordinator of the civil campaign in support of Palestine in Lebanon, said and demanded compensation for the relatives of the victims.

In June 1982, Israel invaded Lebanon, a country mired in civil war. A few months later, in September, militia members of the right-wing Phalange, in alliance with the Israeli military, raided the Sabra and Shatila camps, killing between 800 and 2,000 people. The final number of victims, however, was never established.

The military operation was ignominious. The Israeli army imposed a cordon around Palestinian refugee camps while Christian militants massacred civilians.

In Feb. 1983, the Israeli Kahan Commission, which was appointed to investigate the Sabra and Shatila "incident," found that military personnel did nothing to stop what was happening. It also found that Defense Minister Ariel Sharon was one of the "indirect" perpetrators.

Years after these events, Gen. Shanon, who was one of the main planners and executors of the Arab-Israeli wars, served as Prime Minister of Israel from 2001 to 2006.

Survivors of the Sabra & Shatila massacres sued Sharon before a Belgian court, which refused to hold a hearing on the case in Sept. 2003. This crime against humanity remains unpunished.