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116-652: 33°16′50.04″N 35°33′52.68″E  /  33.2805667°N 35.5646333°E  / 33.2805667; 35.5646333 This Lebanon location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This geography of Israel article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Lebanon 33°50′N 35°50′E  /  33.833°N 35.833°E  / 33.833; 35.833 Lebanon ( / ˈ l ɛ b ən ɒ n , - n ə n / LEB -ən-on, -⁠ən ; Arabic : لُبْنَان , romanized :  Lubnān , local pronunciation: [lɪbˈneːn] ), officially

232-592: A resistance movement called Hezbollah , whose goals included combating the Israeli occupation. During the South Lebanon conflict (1985–2000) the Hezbollah militia waged a guerrilla campaign against Israeli forces occupying Southern Lebanon and their South Lebanon Army proxies. "Throughout the period of 1985–92, there were very few limited exchanges between Israeli and Hezbollah or Amal forces in southern Lebanon", and "with

348-615: A British contingent) were deployed in Beirut after the Israeli siege of the city , to supervise the evacuation of the PLO. The civil war re-emerged in September 1982 after the assassination of Lebanese President Bachir Gemayel , an Israeli ally, and subsequent fighting. During this time a number of sectarian massacres occurred, such as in Sabra and Shatila , and in several refugee camps . The multinational force

464-649: A defeat to the French at the Battle of Maysalun , the kingdom was dissolved. Around the same time, at the San Remo Conference , tasked with deciding the fate of former Ottoman territories, it was determined that Syria and Lebanon would fall under French rule; Shortly afterward, the formal division of territories took place in the Treaty of Sèvres , signed a few months later. On 1 September 1920, Greater Lebanon , or Grand Liban ,

580-674: A formula for the de-confessionalization of the Lebanese political system. The civil war ended at the end of 1990 after 16 years; it had caused massive loss of human life and property and devastated the country's economy. It is estimated that 150,000 people were killed and another 200,000 wounded. Nearly a million civilians were displaced by the war, and some never returned. Parts of Lebanon were left in ruins. The Taif Agreement has still not been implemented in full and Lebanon's political system continues to be divided along sectarian lines. Conflict between Israel and Lebanese militants continued, leading to

696-491: A full-fledged civil war. In 1948, the Lebanese army had by far the smallest regional army, consisting of only 3,500 soldiers. At the prompting of Arab leaders in the region, Lebanon agreed to join the other armies that were being assembled around the perimeter of the British Mandate territory of Palestine for the purpose of invading Palestine. Lebanon committed 1,000 of these soldiers to the cause. The Arab armies waited for

812-477: A ground invasion of southern Lebanon , resulting in the 2006 Lebanon War . The conflict was officially ended by the UNSC Resolution 1701 on 14 August 2006, which ordered a ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon, and the disarmament of Hezbollah. Some 1,191 Lebanese and 160 Israelis were killed in the conflict. Beirut's southern suburb was heavily damaged by Israeli airstrikes. In 2007,

928-503: A large degree of autonomy despite the succession of rulers over Lebanon and Syria. The relative isolation of the Lebanese mountains meant the mountains served as a refuge in the times of religious and political crises in the Levant . As such, the mountains displayed religious diversity and the existence of several well-established sects and religions, notably, Maronites , Druze , Shiite Muslims , Ismailis , Alawites and Jacobites . After

1044-551: A national unity government was established, granting a veto to the opposition. The agreement was a victory for opposition forces, as the government caved in to all their main demands. In early January 2011, the national unity government collapsed due to growing tensions stemming from the Special Tribunal for Lebanon , which was expected to indict Hezbollah members for the Hariri assassination. The parliament elected Najib Mikati ,

1160-554: A reduced area under closer Ottoman supervision until the late 17th century. On the death of the last Maan emir , various members of the Shihab clan ruled Mount Lebanon until 1830. While the history of Druze-Christian relations in Lebanon has generally been marked by harmony and peaceful coexistence, there were occasional periods of tension, notably during the 1860 Mount Lebanon civil war , during which around 10,000 Christians were killed by

1276-462: A regional center for finance and trade. In May 1948, Lebanon supported neighboring Arab countries in a war against Israel . While some irregular forces crossed the border and carried out minor skirmishes against Israel, it was without the support of the Lebanese government, and Lebanese troops did not officially invade. Lebanon agreed to support the forces with covering artillery fire, armored cars, volunteers and logistical support. On 5–6 June 1948,

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1392-443: A relative of Uthman, serving as the governor. Mu'awiya sent forces to the coastal region of Lebanon, prompting conversions to Islam among the coastal population. However, the mountainous areas retained their Christian or other cultural practices. Despite Islam and Arabic becoming officially dominant, the population's conversion from Christianity and Syriac language was gradual. The Maronite community, in particular, managed to maintain

1508-604: A revolt, they entered southern Lebanon, resulting in an increase of internal and cross-border violence. Meanwhile, demographic tensions over the Lebanese National Pact led to the Lebanese Civil War (1975–1990). PLO actions were one of the key factors in the eruption of the Lebanese Civil War and its bitter battles with Lebanese factions caused foreign intervention. Israel's 1978 invasion of Lebanon pushed

1624-600: A series of assassinations that resulted in the death of many prominent Lebanese figures. The assassination triggered the Cedar Revolution , a series of demonstrations which demanded the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon and the establishment of an international commission to investigate the assassination. Under pressure from the West, Syria began withdrawing, and by 26 April 2005 all Syrian soldiers had returned to Syria. UNSC Resolution 1595 called for an investigation into

1740-507: A series of violent events and clashes including the Qana massacre . In May 2000, Israeli forces fully withdrew from Lebanon. Since then, 25 May is regarded by the Lebanese as the Liberation Day . The internal political situation in Lebanon significantly changed in the early 2000s. After the Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon and the death of former president Hafez al-Assad in 2000,

1856-681: A severe famine. During the war, approximately 100,000 people in Beirut and Mount Lebanon died due to starvation. Amidst the height of the First World War , the Sykes–Picot Agreement of 1916, a secret pact between Britain and France, delineated Lebanon and its surrounding areas as regions open to potential French influence or control. After the Allies emerged victorious in the war, the Ottoman Empire ultimately collapsed, losing control over

1972-521: A temporary embargo on the export of U.S. aircraft to Israel. In August 1981, defense minister Ariel Sharon began to draw up plans to attack PLO military infrastructure in West Beirut, where PLO headquarters and command bunkers were located. In 1982, PLO attacks from Lebanon on Israel led to an Israeli invasion , aiming to support Lebanese forces in driving out the PLO. A multinational force of American, French and Italian contingents (joined in 1983 by

2088-449: A widening conflict and the prestige the siege was giving PLO leader Yasser Arafat , got all sides to agree to a cease-fire and terms for the PLO's withdrawal on 12 August. The Multinational Force in Lebanon arrived to keep the peace and ensure PLO withdrawal. The PLO leadership retreated from Beirut on 30 August 1982 and moved to Tunisia . The National Assembly of Lebanon narrowly chose Bachir Gemayel as president-elect , but when he

2204-463: Is known as the Coastal Road massacre . By the end of the incident, nine hijackers and 38 Israeli civilians (including 13 children) were dead. In response, on 14 March 1978, Israel launched Operation Litani occupying southern Lebanon, except for the city of Tyre , with 25,000 troops. The objective was to push the PLO away from the border and bolster a Lebanese Christian militia allied with Israel,

2320-669: Is the country's capital and largest city. Human habitation in Lebanon dates to 5000 BC. From 3200 to 539 BC, it was part of Phoenicia , a maritime empire that stretched the Mediterranean Basin . In 64 BC, the region became part of the Roman Empire , and later the Byzantine Empire . After the 7th century, it came under the rule of different caliphates , including the Rashidun , Umayyad and Abbasid Caliphate . The 11th century saw

2436-496: The 2006 Lebanon War , which saw cross-border attacks and another Israeli invasion of the south. Its ceasefire called for the disarmament of Hezbollah and the respecting of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Lebanon by Israel. Hostilities were suspended on 8 September. After the 2006 war the situation became relatively calm, despite both sides violating the ceasefire agreements; Israel by making near-daily flights over Lebanese territory, and Hezbollah by not disarming. There

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2552-458: The 2006 Lebanon War . A new period of conflict began in 2023, leading to the 2024 Israeli invasion of Lebanon . The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) recruited militants in Lebanon from among the Palestinian refugees who had been expelled or fled after the creation of Israel in 1948. After the PLO leadership and its Fatah brigade were expelled from Jordan in 1970–71 for fomenting

2668-463: The 2020 Beirut explosion , precipitated the collapse of Lebanon's currency and fomented political instability, widespread resource shortages, and high unemployment and poverty . The World Bank has defined Lebanon's economic crisis as one of the world's worst since the 19th century. Despite the country's small size, Lebanese culture is renowned both in the Arab world and globally, powered primarily by

2784-605: The Bible , King Hiram of Tyre collaborated closely with Solomon , supplying cedar logs for Solomon's Temple and sending skilled workers. The Phoenicians are credited with the invention of the oldest verified alphabet , which subsequently inspired the Greek alphabet and the Latin one thereafter. In the 9th century BC, Phoenician colonies , including Carthage in present-day Tunisia and Cádiz in present-day Spain , flourished throughout

2900-565: The Holocaust during World War II , had meant an increase of Jewish immigrants to a minority Jewish, majority Arab Mandate. During the 1936–39 Arab revolt and thereafter the British increasingly came to rely on Jewish police forces to help maintain order. Eventually, the resultant rise in ethnic tensions and violence between the Arabs and Jews due to Jewish immigration and collaboration would force

3016-603: The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) to strike in return, instigating the long and still unresolved struggle between the PLO and the IDF. From 1968 onwards, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) began conducting raids from Lebanon into Israel, and Israel began making retaliatory raids against Lebanese villages to encourage the Lebanese people to themselves deal with the fedayeen. After an Israeli airline

3132-659: The Kingdom of Jerusalem and the County of Tripoli as Roman Catholic Christian states along the coast. These crusader states made a lasting impact on the region, though their control was limited, and the region returned to full Muslim control after two centuries following the conquest by the Mamluks. Among the most lasting effects of the Crusades in this region was the contact between the Franks (i.e.,

3248-867: The Lebanese diaspora . Lebanon is a founding member of the United Nations and of the Arab League , and is a member of the Non-Aligned Movement , the Organization of Islamic Cooperation , the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie , and the Group of 77 . The name of Mount Lebanon originates from the Phoenician root lbn ( 𐤋𐤁𐤍 ) meaning "white", apparently from its snow-capped peaks. Occurrences of

3364-467: The Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon , administered by France , which established Greater Lebanon . By 1943, Lebanon had gained independence from Free France and established a distinct form of confessionalist government , with the state's major religious groups being apportioned specific political powers . The new Lebanese state was relatively stable after independence, but this was ultimately shattered by

3480-513: The Nahr al-Bared refugee camp became the center of the 2007 Lebanon conflict between the Lebanese Army and Fatah al-Islam . At least 169 soldiers, 287 insurgents and 47 civilians were killed in the battle. Funds for the reconstruction of the area have been slow to materialize. Between 2006 and 2008, a series of protests led by groups opposed to the pro-Western Prime Minister Fouad Siniora demanded

3596-622: The Republic of Lebanon , is a country in the Levant region of West Asia , bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west; Cyprus lies a short distance from the country's coastline. It is at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula . Lebanon has a population of more than five million and an area of 10,452 square kilometres (4,036 sq mi). Beirut

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3712-474: The Roman Empire during the early spread of the faith. During the late 4th and early 5th century, a hermit named Maron established a monastic tradition focused on the importance of monotheism and asceticism near the Mediterranean mountain range known as Mount Lebanon . The monks who followed Maron spread his teachings among Lebanese in the region. These Christians became known as Maronites and moved into

3828-602: The South Lebanese Army (SLA). However, the PLO concluded from the name of the operation that the invasion would halt at the Litani River and moved their forces north, leaving behind a token force of a few hundred men. As a result, the casualties were almost all civilians. On 19 March 1978, the United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 425 , which called for Israel's immediate withdrawal and

3944-475: The South Lebanon conflict , is a long-running conflict involving Israel , Lebanon -based paramilitary groups, and sometimes Syria . The conflict peaked during the Lebanese Civil War . In response to Palestinian attacks from Lebanon , Israel invaded the country in 1978 and again in 1982 . After this it occupied southern Lebanon until 2000, while fighting a guerrilla conflict against Shia paramilitaries. After Israel's withdrawal, Hezbollah attacks sparked

4060-700: The Tanzimat reform. After 1861 there existed an autonomous Mount Lebanon with a Christian mutasarrıf , which had been created as a homeland for the Maronites under European diplomatic pressure following the 1860 massacres. The Maronite Catholics and the Druze founded modern Lebanon in the early eighteenth century, through the ruling and social system known as the " Maronite-Druze dualism " in Mount Lebanon Mutasarrifate. The Baalbek and Beqaa Valley and Jabal Amel

4176-495: The UN designated border . Citing Israeli control of the Shebaa farms , Hezbollah continued cross-border attacks intermittently over the next six years. Hezbollah now sought the release of Lebanese citizens in Israeli prisons and successfully used the tactic of capturing Israeli soldiers as leverage for a prisoner exchange in 2004. The capturing of two Israeli soldiers by Hezbollah ignited

4292-598: The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), charged with attempting to establish peace. Israeli forces withdrew later in 1978, but retained control of the southern region by managing a 19-kilometre-wide (12 mi) security zone along the border. These positions were held by the South Lebanon Army (SLA), a Christian militia under the leadership of Major Saad Haddad backed by Israel. The Israeli Prime Minister, Likud 's Menachem Begin , compared

4408-495: The Vichy High commissioner for Syria and Lebanon, played a major role in the independence of the nation. The Vichy authorities in 1941 allowed Germany to move aircraft and supplies through Syria to Iraq where they were used against British forces. The United Kingdom, fearing that Nazi Germany would gain full control of Lebanon and Syria by pressure on the weak Vichy government, sent its army into Syria and Lebanon . After

4524-532: The siege of Tyre in 332 BCE . In 64 BC, the Roman general Pompey had the region of Syria annexed into the Roman Republic . The area was then split into two Imperial Provinces under the Roman Empire , Coele-Syria and Phoenice , the latter which the land of present-day Lebanon was a part of. The region that is now Lebanon, as with the rest of Syria and much of Anatolia , became a major center of Christianity in

4640-399: The 17 May Agreement on 5 March 1984. On 15 January 1985, Israel adopted a phased withdrawal plan, finally retreating to the Litani River to form the 4–12 kilometers (2.5–7.5 miles) deep Israeli Security Zone (map at ) while using the native South Lebanese Army militia to help control it. On 16 February 1985, Shia Sheik Ibrahim al-Amin declared a manifesto in Lebanon, announcing

4756-470: The British to withdraw in 1947. (The area of their mandate east of the Jordan river had already become the independent state of Jordan in 1946.) The United Nations General Assembly developed a gerrymandered 1947 UN Partition Plan , to attempt to give both Arabs and Jews their own states from the remains of the British Mandate; however, this was rejected by the Arabs, and the situation quickly devolved into

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4872-634: The Children director estimated that 200,000–300,000 children were need of assistance and were living almost entirely on bread, which was subsidized by the government. Those who could relied on foreign assistance. Hezbollah was receiving about $ 3–5 million a month from Iran . In September 1988, the Parliament failed to elect a successor to President Gemayel as a result of differences between the Christians, Muslims, and Syrians. The Arab League Summit of May 1989 led to

4988-629: The Druze. Shortly afterwards, the Emirate of Mount Lebanon , which lasted about 400 years, was replaced by the Mount Lebanon Mutasarrifate , as a result of a European-Ottoman treaty called the Règlement Organique . The Mount Lebanon Mutasarrifate (1861–1918, Arabic : متصرفية جبل لبنان ; Turkish : Cebel-i Lübnan Mutasarrıflığı ) was one of the Ottoman Empire 's subdivisions following

5104-771: The French mandate for both was legally terminated on that date and full independence attained. The last French troops withdrew in December 1946. Lebanon's unwritten National Pact of 1943 required that its president be Maronite Christian, its speaker of the parliament to be a Shia Muslim , its prime minister be Sunni Muslim , and the Deputy Speaker of Parliament and the Deputy Prime Minister be Greek Orthodox . Lebanon's history since independence has been marked by alternating periods of political stability and turmoil interspersed with prosperity built on Beirut 's position as

5220-532: The French mandate may be said to have been terminated without any formal action on the part of the League of Nations or its successor the United Nations . The mandate was ended by the declaration of the mandatory power, and of the new states themselves, of their independence, followed by a process of piecemeal unconditional recognition by other powers, culminating in formal admission to the United Nations. Article 78 of

5336-658: The French the Mandate of Syria and the British the Mandate of Palestine after the 1920 San Remo conference , in accordance with the 1916 Sykes–Picot Agreement . The largely Christian enclave of the French Mandate became the French-controlled Lebanese Republic in 1926. Lebanon became independent in 1943 as France was under German occupation, though French troops did not completely withdraw until 1946. The rise of anti-Semitism in Europe , culminating in

5452-730: The French) and the Maronites. Unlike most other Christian communities in the Eastern Mediterranean , who swore allegiance to Constantinople or other local patriarchs, the Maronites proclaimed allegiance to the Pope in Rome. As such the Franks saw them as Roman Catholic brethren. These initial contacts led to centuries of support for the Maronites from France and Italy, even after the fall of the Crusader states in

5568-444: The Haifa – Tel-Aviv road, shooting at passing vehicles in what became known as the Coastal Road massacre . They killed 37 and wounded 76 Israelis before being killed in a firefight with Israeli forces. Israel invaded Lebanon four days later in Operation Litani . The Israeli Army occupied most of the area south of the Litani River . The UN Security Council passed Resolution 425 calling for immediate Israeli withdrawal and creating

5684-421: The IDF, and on the 23rd. another Israeli soldier was killed. Cross-border raids were frequent from both sides, and Operation Accountability arose from the escalation in hostilities. Thousands of buildings were bombed, resulting in 120 dead and 500,000 displaced civilians. Israeli forces also destroyed infrastructure such as power stations and bridges. According to Michael Brecher, the aim of Operation Accountability

5800-447: The Islamic conquest, Mediterranean trade declined for three centuries due to conflicts with the Byzantines. The ports of Tyre, Sidon, Beirut, and Tripoli struggled to recover, sustaining small populations under Umayyad and Abbasid rule. Christians and Jews were often obligated to pay the jizya , or poll tax levied on non-Muslims. During the 980s, the Fatimid Caliphate took control of the Levant, including Mount Lebanon, resulting in

5916-400: The Israeli occupation of Lebanese territory. It fought a guerrilla war against the IDF and SLA in south Lebanon. Israel launched two major operations in southern Lebanon during the 1990s: Operation Accountability in 1993 and Operation Grapes of Wrath in 1996. Fighting with Hezbollah weakened Israeli resolve and led to a collapse of the SLA and an Israeli withdrawal in 2000 to their side of

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6032-518: The Lebanese army in southern Lebanon, but was conditional on Syrian withdrawal as well. In August 1983, as Israel withdrew from the areas southeast of Beirut to the Awali River , Lebanese factions clashed for control of the freed territory. In February 1984, the Lebanese Army collapsed, with many units forming their own militias. Shia and Druze militias took over much of Beirut in early 1984 and consolidated power. The National Assembly of Lebanon, under pressure from Syria and Muslim militias, cancelled

6148-689: The Lebanese army – led by the then Minister of National Defense , Emir Majid Arslan – captured Al-Malkiyya . This was Lebanon's only success in the war. 100,000 Palestinians fled to Lebanon because of the war. Israel did not permit their return after the cease-fire. As of 2017, between 174,000 and 450,000 Palestinian refugees live in Lebanon with about half in refugee camps (although these are often decades old and resemble neighborhoods). Often Palestinians are legally barred from owning property or performing certain occupations. According to Human Rights Watch , Palestinian refugees in Lebanon live in "appalling social and economic conditions." In 1958, during

6264-490: The Liberation of Palestine , (DFLP) crossed into Israel and carried out the Avivim school bus massacre . In 1970, the PLO attempted to overthrow a reigning monarch, King Hussein of Jordan , and following his quashing of the rebellion in what Arab historians call Black September , the PLO leadership and their troops fled from Jordan to Syria and finally Lebanon, where cross-border violence increased. With headquarters now in Beirut , PLO factions recruited new members from

6380-618: The Liberation of Palestine – General Command , which split from the PLO in 1974, carried out the Kiryat Shmona massacre in April of that year. In May 1974, the DFLP crossed again into Israel and carried out the Ma'alot massacre . In retaliation for this attack, Israel bombed and destroyed the Nabatieh refugee camp . The Lebanese Civil War (1975–1990) was a complex conflict in the form of various factions and shifting alliances between and among Lebanese Maronite Catholics, Lebanese Muslims, Palestinian Muslims, Lebanese Druze, and other non-sectarian groups. Governmental power had been allotted among

6496-410: The Maronites and other Lebanese factions. In 1975, following increasing sectarian tensions, largely boosted by Palestinian militant relocation into South Lebanon, a full-scale civil war broke out in Lebanon. The Lebanese Civil War pitted a coalition of Christian groups against the joint forces of the PLO , left-wing Druze and Muslim militias. In June 1976, Lebanese President Élias Sarkis asked for

6612-417: The Mediterranean. Subsequently, foreign powers, starting with the Neo-Assyrian Empire , imposed tribute and attacked non-compliant cities. The Neo-Babylonian Empire took control in the 6th century BC. In 539 BC, The cities of Phoenicia were then incorporated into the Achaemenid Empire by Cyrus the Great . The Phoenician city-states were later incorporated into the empire of Alexander the Great following

6728-431: The Middle East into centers of guerrilla activity. The PLO, from its inception in 1964 by Ahmed Shukeri , began executing numerous terror attacks on Israeli civilians in attempt to fulfill its mission charter's vow to pursue in "the path of holy war (al- jihad )" until the establishment of a Palestinian State in place of the State of Israel. The series of attacks (such as the 1966 bombings in Romema , Jerusalem) drove

6844-524: The Muslim Caliphs and the people became more fully absorbed by the Arab culture. Following the fall of Roman Anatolia to the Muslim Turks, the Byzantines put out a call to the Pope in Rome for assistance in the 11th century. The result was a series of wars known as the Crusades launched by the Franks from Western Europe to reclaim the former Byzantine Christian territories in the Eastern Mediterranean, especially Syria and Palestine (the Levant ). The First Crusade succeeded in temporarily establishing

6960-403: The Near East . With the exception of two camps in the Beirut area, the camps were mostly Muslim . Lebanese Christians feared that the Muslim influx would affect their political dominance and their assumed demographic majority . Accordingly, they imposed restrictions on the status of the Palestinian refugees. The refugees could not work, travel, or engage in political activities. Initially

7076-440: The PLO north of the Litani River , but the PLO continued their campaign against Israel. This invasion led to the deployment of United Nations peacekeepers in southern Lebanon. Israel invaded Lebanon again in 1982 and, in alliance with the Christian Lebanese Forces , forcibly expelled the PLO. In 1983, Israel and Lebanon signed the May 17 Agreement providing a framework for the establishment of normal bilateral relations between

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7192-426: The PLO, landed in Nahariya , Israel from Tyre, Lebanon by boat. After killing a police officer who had discovered their presence, they took a father and his daughter hostage in an apartment building. After fleeing with the hostages from police back to the beach, a shootout killed one policeman and two of the militants. Kuntar then executed the hostages before he and the remaining invader were captured. In April 1981,

7308-502: The Palestinian refugee camps. South Lebanon was nicknamed "Fatahland" due to the predominance there of Yasser Arafat 's Fatah organization. With its own army operating freely in Lebanon, the PLO had created a state within a state. By 1975, more than 300,000 Palestinian displaced persons lived in Lebanon. In reaction to the 1972 Munich massacre , Israel carried out Operation Spring of Youth . Members of Israel's elite Special Forces landed by boat in Lebanon on 9 April 1973, and with

7424-438: The Seven-Day War. The given reason was to retaliate for the death of IDF soldiers in the "security zone" , which Israel had created in 1985 in southern Lebanon to protect its northern borders from both Hezbollah and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – General Command . On 10 July Hezbollah undertook an operation in which 5 Israeli soldiers were killed; a further attack on 19 July caused several further casualties to

7540-407: The Shia cause in the Lebanese civil war, ending Western presence in Lebanon, and establishing a Shiite Khomeinist Islamic state . In the late 1980s, as Amine Gemayel ’s second term as president drew to an end, the Lebanese pound collapsed. At the end of 1987 US$ 1 was worth £L500. This meant the legal minimum wage was worth just $ 17 a month. Most goods in shops were priced in dollars. A Save

7656-438: The Syrian Army to intervene on the side of the Christians and help restore peace. In October 1976 the Arab League agreed to establish a predominantly Syrian Arab Deterrent Force , which was charged with restoring calm. PLO attacks from Lebanon into Israel in 1977 and 1978 escalated tensions between the countries. On 11 March 1978, 11 Fatah fighters landed on a beach in northern Israel and hijacked two buses full of passengers on

7772-399: The Syrian military presence faced criticism and resistance from the Lebanese population. On 14 February 2005, former Prime Minister Rafic Hariri was assassinated in a car bomb explosion. Leaders of the March 14 Alliance accused Syria of the attack, while Syria and the March 8 Alliance claimed that Israel was behind the assassination. The Hariri assassination marked the beginning of

7888-468: The UN Charter ended the status of tutelage for any member state: "The trusteeship system shall not apply to territories which have become Members of the United Nations, relationship among which shall be based on respect for the principle of sovereign equality." So when the UN officially came into existence on 24 October 1945, after ratification of the United Nations Charter by the five permanent members , as both Syria and Lebanon were founding member states,

8004-577: The United States brokered a cease-fire in southern Lebanon among Israel, Syria and the PLO. The 1982 Lebanon war began on 6 June 1982, when Israel invaded again for the purpose of attacking the Palestine Liberation Organization . The Israeli army laid siege to Beirut . During the conflict, according to Lebanese sources, between 15,000 and 20,000 people were killed, mostly civilians. According to American military analyst Richard Gabriel, between 5,000 and 8,000 civilians were killed. Fighting also occurred between Israel and Syria . The United States, fearing

8120-403: The aid of Israeli intelligence agents, infiltrated the PLO headquarters in Beirut and assassinated several members of its leadership. In 1974 the PLO altered its focus to include political elements, necessary for a dialogue with Israel. Those who insisted on a military solution left to form the Rejectionist Front , and Yassir Arafat took over the PLO leadership role. The Popular Front for

8236-445: The area. Soon after the war, Patriarch Elias Peter Hoayek , representing the Maronite Christians, successfully campaigned for an expanded territory at the 1919 Paris Peace Conference , also including areas with significant Muslim and Druze populations in addition to the Christian-dominated Mount Lebanon. In 1920, King Faisal I proclaimed the Arab Kingdom of Syria 's independence and asserted control over Lebanon. However, following

8352-577: The assassination. The United Nations International Independent Investigation Commission published preliminary findings on 20 October 2005 in the Mehlis report , which cited indications that the assassination was organized by Syrian and Lebanese intelligence services. On 12 July 2006, Hezbollah launched a series of rocket attacks and raids into Israeli territory, where they killed three Israeli soldiers and captured two others. Israel responded with airstrikes and artillery fire on targets in Lebanon, and

8468-1658: The candidate for the Hezbollah-led March 8 Alliance , Prime Minister of Lebanon, making him responsible for forming a new government. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah later accused Israel of assassinating Hariri. A report leaked by the Al-Akhbar newspaper in November 2010 stated that Hezbollah had drafted plans for a violent takeover of the country in case the Special Tribunal for Lebanon issued an indictment against its members. Israeli%E2%80%93Lebanese conflict [REDACTED] Lebanese National Movement (until 1982) [REDACTED] Lebanese National Resistance Front (1982–2000) [REDACTED] AMAL [REDACTED] PLO (1968–1982) [REDACTED]   Syria (1982) [REDACTED] Hezbollah (from 1985) [REDACTED] Islamic Group (from 2023 ) [REDACTED] Hamas (from 2023 ) [REDACTED] PIJ (from 2023 ) [REDACTED] PFLP (from 2023 ) Supported by: [REDACTED] Israel [REDACTED] South Lebanon Army (1978–2000) [REDACTED] Lebanese Forces (1970s–1985) [REDACTED] Kataeb Regulatory Forces (1970s) [REDACTED] Tigers Militia (1970s) Palestinian insurgency in South Lebanon Hezbollah–Israel conflict The Israeli–Lebanese conflict , or

8584-521: The conflict between them, including the borders. After the war, the United Nations estimated 711,000 Palestinian Arabs , out an estimated 1.8 million dwelling in the Mandate of Palestine , fled, emigrated or were forced out of Israel and entered neighboring countries. By 1949, there were 110,000 Palestinian Arabs in Lebanon, moved into camps established by and administered by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in

8700-477: The conflict on the side of the Palestinian Arabs, thus beginning the international phase of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War . Egypt , Lebanon , Syria , Transjordan , and Iraq declared war on the new state of Israel. They expected an easy and quick victory in what came to be called the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. The Lebanese army joined the other Arab armies in the invasion. It crossed into the northern Galilee . By

8816-474: The creation of a national unity government, over which the mostly Shia opposition groups would have veto power. When Émile Lahoud 's presidential term ended in October 2007, the opposition refused to vote for a successor unless a power-sharing deal was reached, leaving Lebanon without a president. On 9 May 2008, Hezbollah and Amal forces, sparked by a government declaration that Hezbollah's communications network

8932-734: The different religious groups by the National Pact based partially on the results of the 1932 census . Changes in demographics and increased feelings of deprivation by certain ethnic groups, as well as Israeli–Palestinian clashes in the south of the county all contributed to the outbreak of the Lebanese Civil War. Beginning in May 1976, Israel supplied the Maronite militias, including the Lebanese Forces , led by Bachir Gemayel , with arms, tanks, and military advisers. The border between Israel and Lebanon

9048-537: The emerging Palestinian guerrilla forces. In 1969 the Cairo Agreement guaranteed refugees the right to work, to form self-governing committees, and to engage in armed struggle. "The Palestinian resistance movement assumed daily management of the refugee camps, providing security as well as a wide variety of health, educational, and social services." On 8 May 1970, a PLO faction, called the Democratic Front for

9164-572: The end of the Mandate and the withdrawal of British forces, which was set for 15 May 1948. Israel declared its independence on 14 May 1948. The next day, the British Mandate officially expired and, in an official cablegram , the seven-member Arab League , including Lebanon, publicly proclaimed their aim of creating a democratic "United State of Palestine" in place of the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine . The League soon entered

9280-414: The end of the conflict, however, it had been repulsed by Israeli forces, which occupied South Lebanon . Israel signed armistice agreements with each of its invading neighbors. The armistice with Lebanon was signed on 23 March 1949. As part of the agreement with Lebanon, Israeli forces withdrew to the international border. By the conclusion of that war, Israel had signed ceasefire agreements with all of

9396-618: The establishment of Crusader states , which fell to the Ayyubids and the Mamluks , and eventually the Ottomans . Under Ottoman ruler Abdulmejid I , the first Lebanese proto-state, the Mount Lebanon Mutasarrifate , was established in the 19th century as a home for Maronite Christians , in the Tanzimat period. After the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire following World War I , Lebanon came under

9512-544: The establishment of a United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon . When Israel forces withdrew later in 1978, they turned over its positions in Lebanon to the South Lebanon Army which would continue fighting as a proxy for Israel against the PLO until Israel drove the PLO out of Lebanon in 1982. On 22 April 1979, Samir Kuntar and three other members of the Palestine Liberation Front , a sometimes faction of

9628-463: The exception of 1988, during which twenty-one Israeli soldiers were killed, the number of Israeli fatalities per year over this period was in the single-digit figure". By the end of 1990, the Lebanese Civil War was effectively over. In March 1991, the National Assembly of Lebanon passed an amnesty law that pardoned all political crimes prior to its enactment, and in May 1991, the militias—with

9744-492: The fighting ended in Lebanon, General Charles de Gaulle visited the area. Under political pressure from both inside and outside Lebanon, de Gaulle recognized the independence of Lebanon. On 26 November 1941, General Georges Catroux announced that Lebanon would become independent under the authority of the Free French government. Elections were held in 1943 and on 8 November 1943 the new Lebanese government unilaterally abolished

9860-522: The formation of a Saudi–Moroccan–Algerian committee to solve the crisis. On 16 September 1989 the committee issued a peace plan which was accepted by all. A ceasefire was established, the ports and airports were re-opened and refugees began to return. In the same month, the Lebanese Parliament agreed to the Taif Agreement , which included an outline timetable for Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon and

9976-658: The grounds that the cease-fire was only relevant to Lebanon. In April 1980 the killing of two UNIFIL soldiers and the injuring of a third by the South Lebanon Army, near At Tiri , in the buffer zone led to the At Tiri incident . On 17 July 1981, Israeli aircraft bombed multi-story apartment buildings in Beirut that contained offices of PLO associated groups. The Lebanese delegate to the United Nations Security Council claimed that 300 civilians had been killed and 800 wounded. The bombing led to worldwide condemnation, and

10092-605: The important exceptions of Hezbollah and the SLA—were dissolved, and the Lebanese Armed Forces began to slowly rebuild themselves as Lebanon's only major non-sectarian institution. From 1985 through 2000, Israel continued to fund the South Lebanon Army. In 1992, Hezbollah won ten out of 128 seats in the Lebanese National Assembly . On 25 July 1993, Israel launched Operation Accountability , known in Lebanon as

10208-657: The largest conflict-related loss of life in a single day in Lebanon since the Civil War. The territories of what would become the states of Israel and Lebanon were once part of the Ottoman Empire which lasted from 1299 until its defeat in World War I and subsequent dissolution in 1922. As a result of the Sinai and Palestine Campaign in 1917, the British occupied Palestine and parts of what would become Syria . French troops took Damascus in 1918. The League of Nations officially gave

10324-483: The last months of President Camille Chamoun 's term, an insurrection broke out, instigated by Lebanese Muslims who wanted to make Lebanon a member of the United Arab Republic . Chamoun requested assistance, and 5,000 United States Marines were briefly dispatched to Beirut on 15 July. After the crisis, a new government was formed, led by the popular former general Fouad Chehab . Until the early 1970s, Lebanon

10440-476: The mandate. The French reacted by imprisoning the new government. Lebanese nationalists declared a provisional government, and the British diplomatically intervened on their behalf. In the face of intense British pressure and protests by Lebanese nationalists, the French reluctantly released the government officials on 22 November 1943, and accepted the independence of Lebanon. Following the end of World War II in Europe

10556-649: The mountain range) that was introduced with the Ottoman reforms of 1861 as the Mount Lebanon Mutasarrifate ( Arabic : متصرفية جبل لبنان ; Turkish : Cebel-i Lübnan Mutasarrıflığı ), continued in the name of Greater Lebanon ( Arabic : دولة لبنان الكبير Dawlat Lubnān al-Kabīr ; French : État du Grand Liban ) in 1920, and eventually in the name of the sovereign Republic of Lebanon ( Arabic : الجمهورية اللبنانية al-Jumhūrīyah al-Lubnānīyah ) upon its independence in 1943. The Natufian culture

10672-705: The mountains to avoid religious persecution by Roman authorities. During the frequent Roman–Persian Wars that lasted for many centuries, the Sasanian Empire occupied what is now Lebanon from 619 till 629. During the 7th century, Muslims conquered Syria from the Byzantines, incorporating the region, including modern-day Lebanon, under the Islamic Caliphate . In the era of Uthman 's caliphate (644–656), Islam gained significant influence in Damascus, led by Mu'awiya ,

10788-564: The name have been found in different Middle Bronze Age texts from the library of Ebla , and three of the twelve tablets of the Epic of Gilgamesh . The name is recorded in Egypt as rmnn ( Ancient Egyptian : 𓂋𓏠𓈖𓈖𓈉 ; it had no letter corresponding to l ). The name occurs nearly 70 times in the Hebrew Bible as לְבָנוֹן Ləḇānon . Lebanon as the name of an administrative unit (as opposed to

10904-447: The neighbouring Arab countries. The territory it now controlled went well beyond what had been allocated to it under the United Nations Partition Plan , incorporating much of what had been promised to the Palestinian Arabs under the Plan. However, it was understood by all the state parties at the time that the armistice agreements were not peace treaties with Israel, nor the final resolution of

11020-466: The ongoing border tensions over water, Lebanon rejected calls by other Arab governments to participate in the 1967 Six-Day War . Militarily weak in the south, Lebanon could not afford conflict with Israel. Nevertheless, the loss of additional territory radicalized the Palestinians languishing in refugee camps hoping to return home. The additional influx of refugees turned Palestinian camps throughout

11136-611: The outbreak of the Lebanese Civil War (1975–1990). Lebanon was also subjugated by two military occupations: Syria from 1976 to 2005 and Israel from 1985 to 2000 . Lebanon has been the scene of several conflicts with Israel , of which the ongoing war marks the fourth Israeli invasion of it since 1978. Lebanon is a developing country , ranked 112th on the Human Development Index . It has been classified as an upper-middle-income state . The Lebanese liquidity crisis , coupled with nationwide corruption and disasters such as

11252-714: The paramount emir of the Druze in the Shouf region. Eventually, he was appointed Sanjak-bey , overseeing various Ottoman sub-provinces and tax collection. Expanding his influence extensively, he even constructed a fort in Palmyra . However, this expansion raised concerns for Ottoman Sultan Murad IV, leading to a punitive expedition in 1633. Fakhr al-Din II was captured, imprisoned for two years, and subsequently executed in April 1635, along with one of his sons. Surviving members of his family continued to govern

11368-644: The plight of the Christian minority in southern Lebanon (then about 5% of the population in SLA territory) to that of European Jews during World War II. The PLO routinely attacked Israel during the period of the cease-fire, with over 270 documented attacks. People in Galilee regularly had to leave their homes during these shellings. Documents captured in PLO headquarters after the invasion showed they had come from Lebanon. PLO leader Yasser Arafat refused to condemn these attacks on

11484-424: The refugees were too impoverished to develop a leadership capable of representing their concerns. Less democratic regimes also feared the threat the refugees posed to their own rule, but Lebanon would prove too weak to maintain a crackdown. The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) recruited militants in Lebanon from among the families of Palestinian refugees who had left Israel in 1948. Despite sharing in

11600-399: The region. In 1516, Lebanon became part of the Ottoman Empire , with governance administered indirectly through local emirs . Lebanon's area was organized into provinces: Northern and Southern Mount Lebanon, Tripoli, Baalbek and Beqaa Valley, and Jabal Amil . In 1590, Druze tribal leader Fakhr al-Din II succeeded Korkmaz in southern Mount Lebanon and quickly asserted his authority as

11716-458: The rejuvenation of Mediterranean trade along the Lebanese coast through renewed connections with Byzantium and Italy. This resurgence saw Tripoli and Tyre flourishing well into the 11th century, focusing on exports such as textiles, sugar, and glassware. During the 11th century, the Druze religion emerged from a branch of Shia Islam . The new religion gained followers in the southern portion of Mount Lebanon. The southern portion of Mount Lebanon

11832-456: The shore of the Mediterranean Sea over 7,000 years ago. Lebanon was part of northern Canaan , and consequently became the homeland of Canaanite descendants, the Phoenicians , a seafaring people based in the coastal strip of the northern Levant who spread across the Mediterranean in the first millennium BC. The most prominent Phoenician cities were Byblos , Sidon and Tyre . According to

11948-408: The two countries, but relations were disrupted with takeover of Shia and Druze militias in early 1984. Israel withdrew from most of Lebanon in 1985, but kept control of a 19-kilometre (12-mile) security buffer zone , held with the aid of proxy militants in the South Lebanon Army (SLA). In 1985, Hezbollah , a Lebanese Shia Islamist movement sponsored by Iran , called for armed struggle to end

12064-620: Was an increase in violence during the April 2023 Israel–Lebanon shellings . The Israel–Hamas war sparked a renewed Israel–Hezbollah conflict , beginning one day after the October 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel . The conflict initially consisted of tit-for-tat airstrikes and shelling. The conflict escalated in September 2024, beginning with the Israeli explosion of Lebanese pagers and walkie talkies . Israel then began an aerial bombing campaign throughout Lebanon, killing at least 569 people on 23 September;

12180-533: Was assassinated on 14 September 1982, Israel reoccupied West Beirut. In parallel, Maronite militia Kataeb Party carried out the Sabra and Shatila massacre . In 1983, the United States brokered the May 17 Agreement , a peace treaty between Israel and Lebanon in all but name. The agreement called for a staged Israeli withdrawal over the next eight to twelve weeks and the establishment of a "security zone" to be patrolled by

12296-536: Was at this time was nicknamed the Good Fence . Fearing loss of commercial access to the port of Beirut , in June 1976 Syria intervened in the civil war to support the Maronite dominated government, and by October had 40,000 troops stationed within Lebanon. On 11 March 1978, eleven PLO militants made a beach landing 30 km. south of Haifa, Israel , where they seized a bus, full of people, killing those on board in what

12412-716: Was dubbed "the Switzerland of the Middle East" for its unique status as both a snow-capped holiday destination and secure banking hub for Gulf Arabs . Beirut was also nicknamed "the Paris of the Middle East." With the 1970 defeat of the PLO in Jordan, many Palestinian militants relocated to Lebanon, increasing their armed campaign against Israel. The relocation of Palestinian bases also led to increasing sectarian tensions between Palestinians versus

12528-534: Was illegal, seized western Beirut , the most important Sunni center in Lebanon, leading to an intrastate military conflict . The Lebanese government denounced the violence as a coup attempt. At least 62 people died in the resulting clashes between pro-government and opposition militias. On 21 May 2008, the signing of the Doha Agreement ended the fighting. As part of the accord, which ended 18 months of political paralysis, Michel Suleiman became president and

12644-452: Was later ratified in July 1922. The Lebanese Republic was officially proclaimed on 1 September 1926, with the adoption of a constitution inspired by the French constitution on 23 May of the same year. While a Lebanese government was established, the country continued to be under French control. Lebanon gained a measure of independence while France was occupied by Germany. General Henri Dentz ,

12760-469: Was machine-gunned at Athens Airport , Israel raided the Beirut International Airport in retaliation, destroying 13 civilian aircraft. The unarmed citizenry could not expel the armed foreigners, while the Lebanese army was too weak militarily and politically. The Palestinian camps came under Palestinian control after a series of clashes in 1968 and 1969 between the Lebanese military and

12876-455: Was officially established under French control as a League of Nations Mandate , following the terms outlined in the proposed Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon . Greater Lebanon united the regions of Mount Lebanon, North Lebanon, South Lebanon, and the Bekaa, with Beirut as its designated capital. These specified boundaries later evolved into the present-day configuration of Lebanon. This arrangement

12992-632: Was ruled by Druze feudal families till the early 14th century. The Maronite population increased gradually in Northern Mount Lebanon and the Druze have remained in Southern Mount Lebanon until the modern era. Keserwan , Jabal Amel and the Beqaa Valley was ruled by Shia feudal families under the Mamluks and the Ottoman Empire. Major cities on the coast, Sidon , Tyre , Acre , Tripoli , Beirut , and others, were directly administered by

13108-597: Was ruled intermittently by various Shia feudal families, especially the Al Ali Alsagheer in Jabal Amel that remained in power until 1865 when Ottomans took direct ruling of the region. Youssef Bey Karam , a Lebanese nationalist played an influential role in Lebanon's independence during this era. Lebanon experienced profound devastation in the First World War when the Ottoman army assumed direct control, disrupting supplies and confiscating animals, ultimately leading to

13224-542: Was the first to become sedentary at around 12000 BC. Evidence of early settlement in Lebanon was found in Byblos , considered among the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The evidence dates back to earlier than 5000 BC. Archaeologists discovered remnants of prehistoric huts with crushed limestone floors, primitive weapons, and burial jars left by the Neolithic and Chalcolithic fishing communities who lived on

13340-541: Was to precipitate a large flight of Lebanese refugees from the south towards Beirut and thereby put the Lebanese government under pressure to rein in Hezbollah. Hezbollah retaliated with rocket attacks on Israeli villages, though inflicting significantly fewer casualties. After Lebanon complained to the UN, the Security Council called on Israel to withdraw its occupying forces from Lebanese territory. A truce agreement brokered by

13456-698: Was withdrawn in the spring of 1984, following a devastating bombing attack during the previous year. During the early 1980s, Hezbollah , a Shiite Islamist militant group and political party, came into existence through the efforts of Shiite clerics who were financially supported and trained by Iran . Arising in the aftermath of the 1982 war and drawing inspiration from the Islamic Revolution in Iran , Hezbollah actively engaged in combat against Israel as well as suicide attacks , car bombings and assassinations. Their objectives encompassed eliminating Israel, fighting for

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