This Week in History
Palestinian Refugees Killed In Lebanon
17 September 1982
Hundreds, possibly thousands, of Palestinian refugees are killed in refugee camps in Lebanon.
In 1982, Palestinian refugees living in the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps in West Beirut, Lebanon, were attacked by members of a right-wing Lebanese militia. Estimates of the number of people killed, including men, women and children, range from 800 to 3,500. Lebanon was under the control of Israeli forces at the time, and Israeli soldiers were accused of allowing the massacre to take place. In 1983, an Israeli inquiry found that Israel was indirectly responsible and Defence Minister Ariel Sharon resigned after being widely condemned for failing to stop the killings. Sharon went on to become the Israeli Prime Minister in 2001.
refugee camp (noun): place where refugees can stay, living in very basic conditions
right-wing (adjective): conservative or traditional in belief
militia (noun): non-army people who fight
massacre (noun): the killing of many people; mass murder
condemn (verb): judge with extreme disapproval
Test your understanding:
Israel was found indirectly responsible for the killings because Israeli forces in control of the area
|
The Isreali Defence Minister who resigned after being condemned for his role in the killings
|
The citizens of a country will condemn a politician if they think he or she has
|