At the hands of Lebanese isolationism groups represented the by South Lebanon Army and Phalanges Party (Kataeb Party), and in coordination with the Israeli army the Sabra and Shatila, a massacre was committed at the Palestinian refugee camps of Sabra and Shatila over three days staring 16 September 1982.
The Israeli army and the South Lebanon Army deployed 350 militants from the Lebanese Phalange Party under the pretext of hunting 1,500 Palestinian fighters hiding in the camp. Palestinian militants were meanwhile outside the camp on battle fronts and the camp included only children, elderly and women.
The Phalange Party militants killed women, children and the elderly in cold blood, before Israeli bulldozers razed the camp and demolished homes. Estimates varied on the number of victims of the massacre but ranged between 3,500 and 5,000 victims including unarmed children, women and elderly, mostly Palestinians. There were also Lebanese victims.
The camp was inclosed by the South Lebanese Army and Israeli army led by Ariel Sharon and Raphael Eitan, former Israeli chief of staff.
The Lebanese militia was led by Elie Hobeika. The Israeli army besieged the camp and illuminated it at night with flash bombs.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
