The Legacy of the Shatila Massacre

As Ariel Sharon looks set to become Israel’s new PM, this strong feature revisits the 1982 Shatila massacre and looks at the region’s future under a man with so much blood on his hands. Eyewitnesses and survivors speak publicly of the massacre for the first time, and there is new testimony about the role of Israeli forces under Sharon’s command. As Defense Minister in 1982, Sharon turned a 72-hour operation to remove Palestinian guerrillas from south Lebanon into a three-month invasion. It claimed 20,000 Arab lives and climaxed with the massacre of unarmed Palestinian civilians in the Sabra and Shatila camps.