First Lebanon War

1. Background
2. The Casus Belli: The Assassination Attempt of the Israeli Ambassador to Great Britain
3. The Forces Present in Lebanon
4. Conduct of Operations
5. Exchange of Prisoners

1. Background

Since the end of the Six Day War, terrorist groups had been launching attacks from southern Lebanon, resulting in IDF reprisals, the most notable of which was the Litani Operation in 1978.

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) was set up in Southern Lebanon according to Security Council resolutions 425 and 426. The aim of this was to confirm the Israeli withdrawal from the area, stabilize the region, and assist the Lebanese government to re-establish its authority.

On July 10, 1981, the PLO began shelling the north of Israel with Katyusha rockets and 130 mm artillery shells. The Israeli Air Force (IAF) retaliated with air raids, but failed to put a final end to these attacks. On July 17, the IAF launched a large-scale raid against PLO buildings in the center of Beirut. The terrorist organization then intensified its bombardments on the communities in the north of the country, forcing thousands of Israeli citizens to move southward or to live in shelters for several days. In order to curb the escalation of violence, US envoy Philip Habib negotiated a ceasefire between the two camps on July 24, 1981. From July 1981 to June 1982, the Israeli-Lebanese border was quiet.

2. The Casus Belli: Attempted Assassination of Israel's Ambassador to the UK

On June 3, 1982, a terrorist cell tried to assassinate Israel's ambassador to the UK, Shlomo Argov. The ambassador was severely wounded by a bullet that hit him in the head. Following the attack, he spent several months in a coma, and remained paralyzed until his death in 2003. This attack was only one in a long list of attacks launched by Palestinian terrorists since the July 1981 ceasefire. According to the terrorist organization’s interpretation, the agreement was only valid within the area of ​​Lebanon, and security was usually maintained in this area. There were attempted attacks on the border with Jordan and outside Israel.

Israel had contemplated a large-scale operation in Lebanon a number of times. The IDF was prepared for such an operation, and forces had even been mobilized for this purpose, but it was decided to exercise restraint. This time, the response was swift: the day after the attack, in the afternoon, IAF planes attacked nine terrorist targets in Lebanon, two of them in the capital, Beirut. After the Israeli air raid, the terrorists retaliated with intensive bombardment of the Israeli communities in the Galilee region. On June 5, 1982, at nightfall, the Israeli government met and decided to entrust the IDF with the mission of putting these communities out of reach of terrorist attacks from Lebanon. At the same time, the IDF was to conflict with Syrian army forces stationed in Lebanon. The stated objective of the operation was to push back the terrorist forces 40 km to the north.

Lebanon is a complicated area for military operations: the territory is essentially composed of mountain ranges which restrict travel, and narrow mountain roads that don’t allow deployment of forces, and are relatively easy to block. The coastal plain is narrow and densely populated, and movement here is also restricted to existing roads. In the region of the Bekaa plain, situated between two mountain ranges, deployment of forces and movement is possible, taking into account, however, the limitations of the Litani River, irrigation canals, and marshlands.

The Forces Present in Lebanon

Terrorists in Lebanon belonged to various organizations, including Fatah, and they numbered 23,000. Their equipment consisted of light weapons, anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles, about 150 armored tanks, artillery cannons, troop carriers, and other armored vehicles. Their forces were organized in the region of the “Fatah Land” located on the southwestern slopes of Mount Hermon, south of Mount Lebanon, in the region of Nabatieh and along the coastal plain.

Syrian forces in Lebanon had established a division composed of two armored brigades, two mechanized infantry brigades, some battalion commando units, 300 artillery guns of various types, air defense units, and surface-to-air missiles. To this were added two infantry brigades and an armored support unit of the Liberation Army of Palestine (units composed of Palestinians operating under the command of the Syrian army).

Syrian forces were deployed in three bands: the security band, extending from the north of the UNIFIL region to the slopes of Mount Hermon through the Nabatieh region; the first strip of protection, from the Damour region to the slopes of Mount Hermon through Mount Lebanon and the south of the Bekaa plain; and the second strip of protection, from Beirut to the east, along the Beirut-Damascus road.

The operation was led by the Northern Command. The training objectives were as follows: the Galilee Formation was supposed to operate along the coastal plain, eliminate terrorists and destroy their infrastructure. The Ga'ash Formation was to operate in the Nabatieh area and then moved westward to the coastal plain. The paratroopers were supposed to land by sea north of Sidon, block the coastal road, and isolate the area of ​​operation from the north. The mission of the Sinai Formation was to operate in the Fatah Land region, and prepare for Syrian involvement. The Steel Formation was to be ready to support and operate according to orders. The Etgar Formation was supposed to act against the Syrian forces if they were to intervene in the fighting. The forces were mobilized and regrouped quickly. Regular forces were deployed first, followed by reserve forces.

4. Conduct of Operations

June 6-8: The Fight Against Terrorists in southern Lebanon

On June 6, 1982, Air Force planes attacked terrorist targets in southern Lebanon, and Navy ships bombarded the sources of the terrorists' fire and hit their vehicles along the coast. IDF forces began to move towards their objectives shortly before noon. The first formations to be launched were the Galilee, Ga'ash and Sinai formations, which moved along three axes (coastal road, Nabatieh and Fatah Land).

The first three days of the war gave rise to a fight against terrorists. The Galilee Formation advanced inside the coastal plain, arrived north of Tyre, and seized the Kassamia bridge which crosses the Litani River. The armored force of the division continued to move northward, and arrived south of the town of Sidon. The Ga'ash Formation crossed the Akia Bridge over the Litani River, headed for Nabatieh, and conquered the area of ​​the village of Arnoun. A training force fought against approximately 30 Palestinian terrorists in order to capture the Beaufort fortress, a fortified Crusader castle, located about 1 km south-west of the village of  Arnoun, which represented a strategic position of high importance. Meanwhile, another force of the formation continued its course towards the north. The Sinai Formation advanced on the few navigable roads of the western slopes of Mount Hermon, and reached the town of Hasbaya, while avoiding fighting with the Syrian forces in the security strip. Syrian artillery was directed against the Israeli forces.

In the early evening, two additional forces were set in motion. The Steel Formation crossed the Litani as a result of the Ga'ash Formation, and during the night, its forces were concentrated in the north of the river. In a parallel move, soldiers were parachuted to the mouth of the Aouali river.

On June 7 and 8, the fight against terrorists continued with the aim of destroying their infrastructure in southern Lebanon.

In the western region, the Ga'ash Formation launched additional forces in the battle and cleared the area of ​​Tyre and the mountain slopes, its troops formed the junction with the Fire Pillar formation north of Sidon. The paratroop forces secured their hold in the Aouali region and cut off the terrorist forces located in the south of their center in Beirut. The paratroop forces received reinforcements landed by the sea, and were joined by troops of the Formations of Galilee and Ga'ash, and then went north towards the region of Damour. The city of Sidon was encircled and the mission of its capture was attributed to the formation of Galilee. The struggle for Sidon began on June 8th, and the city was conquered in a bitter fight involving armored and infantry forces as well as the Air Force.

In the central zone, the Ga'ash Formation continued its progress. Israeli forces moved westward and along the banks of the Zahrani River in the direction of Sidon, and joined the paratroop forces. Some of the troops remained in Sidon, and another part continued with the paratroop forces. The Steel Formation was tasked to move northward on the Chouf mountains (located to the south-east of Beirut) and to settle on the Beirut-Damascus road in the Dahr al-Baydar region. The division advanced on the 7th of the month to the Aouali river, passing to the west of the Syrian forces stationed at Jezzine. The next day they crossed the river and continued their movement to Ain Zhalta. At this point, they encountered armored forces and Syrian commandos, and their progress was slowed.

In this area, an additional force was launched to conquer the Jezzine area occupied by Syrian forces. These forces were located in the area of ​​the town of Jezzine, which is located on the southern foothills of Jabel Barukh and towards which the mountain roads of this region converge, in addition to the road from the Bekaa to the coastal plain. On the morning of June 8, there was movement of Syrian armed and commanded forces to reinforce the Jezzine area, which raised fears that the Ga'ash and Steel Formations that were passing west of the region may be attacked from the flank. The Shizafon Brigade headed for the Sinai Formation, and was united with the Verdi forces, ehichhad been tasked with seizing the Jezzine area. That same evening, the area was conquered.

On the eastern zone, the Sinai Formation advanced slightly northward to the Deir Mimas region, while trying to avoid entering into a fight with the Syrian forces. Fearing that the Syrians would engage in the fight in spite of messages from Israel, the Etgar Formation and the corps headquarters prepared for such an eventuality.

June 9 and Operation Mole Cricket

On June 9, the war took a turn: the Syrian forces engaged in fighting, until the declaration of the ceasefire on the 11th of the month. The Syrians reinforced their military presence in the Bekaa region, advanced forces south of Qaraoun Lake, and fired artillery fire against Israeli forces. The terrorists of this region continued to maintain their positions and the Syrian forces did not prevent them from acting.

Until the 9th of the month, there had been clashes with the Syrians - in Jezzine and Ain Zhalta regions, but these were only local clashes, which did not oppose the Israeli forces or the Syrian forces. Israel tried to avoid these confrontations with the Syrians, and asked them to withdraw their forces to their positions prior to the beginning of the war, and also to repel the terrorists who were in the Syrian zone to the north. In the absence of any response from Syria, Israel began to act.

In the afternoon, Air Force planes attacked the Syrian ground-to-air missile system, and destroyed 15 and harmed 4 more 19 deployed batteries during Operation Mole Cricket 19. During the same operation, 29 out of 100 Syrian aircraft were destroyed in airstrikes. This was one of the most important air battles since the Second World War. On that day, Israeli forces moved forward and seized the area of ​​Mount Lebanon south and north of Jezzine, and reached Jabel Barukh. "Verdi Force" went down to the east and seized the village of Ein A-Tina, but due to a communication error, two Israeli attack forces exchanged friendly fire.

The Etgar Formation advanced along the ridge of Jabal Bir Dahar and the Sinai Formation to Ain Atta. At nightfall, the capture of the Syrian positions in the area was completed. In the central zone, the struggle continued at Ain Zhalta, but the Steel Formation failed to penetrate the Syrian "cork" in this area to continue its advance. In the western zone, the Galilean Formation continued the struggle at Sidon in order to clear its surroundings. Forces conquered Damour, advanced towards the outskirts of the village Sil, turned east, and began to advance towards Beirut along the mountain road crossing the village Meta.

June 10: an unstable ceasefire begins

On June 10, Israeli forces prepared for an incursion into the first Syrian protection strip. The air force helped land forces, but in doing so mistakenly fired on an Israeli infantry force in the Mashai village area, causing heavy casualties among the ranks of the infantry force. After dark, the armored battalion stepped forward to seize the crossing to the south of Sultan Yacoub. To this day, there are two missing soldiers: Yehuda Katz and Tzvi Feldman.

The battalion encountered more Syrian forces, and fought hard during the night until an artillery force and other troops came to its rescue the following morning. The next day, the battle continued in the eastern zone and Syrian forces were eliminated, but without real progress of the Israeli forces, except that of the Sinai Formation, which reached the region of Yinta. Israeli forces stabilized the front before the ceasefire that came into force that same morning. In the central zone, the Steel Formation conquered Ain Zhalta before the evening of June 10, and resumed its advance before meeting another Syrian division in the region of Ain Dara. The ceasefire put an end to the offensive against this division.

In the western zone, the Galilee Formation continued to clear the area. The forces of the Ga'ash Formation advanced toward the Sil village where there three battles. After the third battle, the path to Beirut opened to them. The terrorists in this area did not respect the ceasefire, and the fighting continued. The Paratroopers Brigade advanced into mountainous terrain while fighting against the Syrian and terrorist forces. On June 13, shortly before noon, they joined forces with the Christian forces in the Shima village. From there, the forces advanced in the territory under Christian domination, towards East Beirut.

The ceasefire in the Beirut region was unstable. IDF forces were positioned to the east and south of the Lebanese capital, but the Syrian and terrorist forces occupied the west of the city and the ridge that dominates the eastern city.

Hardening of the siege of Beirut for a month and a half and evacuation of terrorists and Syrian soldiers

Attempts to stabilize the ceasefire failed and it was decided to increase the level of vigilance of the Israeli forces in the area and to tighten the siege on Beirut. From June 20 to June 25, the paratroop forces and the Steel Formation advanced from west and south respectively, and conquered the region that dominated Beirut. The Syrian forces at this point retreated to the Bekaa. With this takeover, the IDF obtained control of the Beirut-Damascus road and control over Beirut by the east.

For a month and a half, a struggle took place in Beirut, in a context of hardening of the siege and evacuation of the city's terrorists. The objectives were achieved during the fighting. During this period, Israeli forces seized Beirut airport and the southern districts of the city, as well as key points that reinforced the IDF's influence on East Beirut.

Towards the middle of August, an agreement was reached for the evacuation of the Palestinian terrorists and forces from Beirut. The evacuation was carried out under the aegis of an international force. The terrorists were evacuated by sea to the Arab States, which were ready to receive them, and the Syrian forces were evacuated by the Beirut-Damascus road to the territory held by the Syrian forces in the Bekaa region. The evacuation was completed on August 31.

5. Exchange of Prisoners

On September 4, 1982, eight Israeli soldiers were kidnapped by a terrorist cell while in an observation post in the Hamdoun region. Two of the soldiers were handed over to the Ahmed Jibril organization and the other six to Fatah. On November 23, 1983, the six Fatah-held soldiers were given back to Israel in exchange for 4,700 terrorists detained in the Ansar camp in Lebanon, and 65 additional terrorists imprisoned in Israel.

In an agreement with Syria on 28 June, 1984, Israel recovered three soldiers: Gil Fogel, Ariel Lieberman, and Jonathan Alon, three civilians, members of the liaison unit in Debye, and five coffins of soldiers who fell for Israel. In return, Israel surrendered to Syria 291 soldiers, 13 civilians, and 74 bodies of Syrian soldiers.