The 1982 Lebanon War began when Israel attacked Lebanon , justified by Israel as an attempt to remove the Fatah militants led by Yasser Arafat from Southern Lebanon ( where they had established , during the country 's civil war , a semi-independent enclave used to launch attacks on Israel ) . The invasion was widely criticized both in and outside Israel , especially after the Israeli-backed Phalangist Christian militia 's Sabra and Shatila massacre , and ultimately led to the death of roughly 1,000 Palestinians . Although through the war , Israel succeeded in exiling the PLO military personnel , including Arafat to Tunisia , it became entangled with various local Muslim militias ( particularly Hezbollah ) , which fought to end the Israeli occupation
Sabra and Shatila massacre
Sabra and Shatila massacre
History of the Arab–Israeli conflict