Washington, D.C. | www.adc.org | September 15, 2024 – Today marks the 42nd anniversary of one of the most brutal acts of violence in modern history: the massacre of the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps. Beginning on September 16, 1982, Lebanese militia, operating under the direction of Israeli forces, massacred, wounded, and left homeless thousands of defenseless men, women, and children in the Sabra and Shatila Palestinian refugee camps. The indiscriminate killing was carried out methodically over the course of two days until the morning of September 18. By the end of this campaign of violence and terror, over 3,000 Palestinian refugees had been murdered.  

During the massacre, Israeli forces controlled the area surrounding the Sabra and Shatila camps. They allowed militants to enter the camps, blocked Palestinian refugees from escaping, and illuminated the night sky with flares as the killing raged on. The day after the killings stopped, the United Nations Security Council condemned the “criminal massacre of Palestinian civilians.” Three months later, the United Nations General Assembly unanimously condemned the killings as an act of genocide. A UN-established commission concluded that Israeli authorities were responsible for the massacre, with the intention to destroy the national and cultural identity of the Palestinian people.  

Even the Israeli-established Kahan Commission could not fully exonerate Israeli forces, finding then-Defense Minister Ariel Sharon “personally responsible” for not preventing the bloodshed. Though Sharon was briefly removed from his post, he later rose to become Israel’s Prime Minister, a chilling reminder of how deeply embedded impunity has been in Israel’s nearly century-long campaign of violence against Palestinians.

The ongoing genocide in Gaza today, with relentless bombardments, blockade, and mass casualties, echoes the horrific violence witnessed at Sabra and Shatila. Over the decades, the pattern of targeted massacres, displacement, and dehumanization of the Palestinian people has continued, rooted in the same colonialist ambitions that have driven Israel’s policies since its founding. The Gaza Strip, like the refugee camps of Lebanon, is a testament to the catastrophic consequences of dispossession and the ongoing efforts to eradicate Palestinian existence.  

Israel’s impunity continues as the international community has long failed to deliver justice for the victims of Sabra and Shatila, and that failure persists today as Palestinians in Gaza face yet another chapter of genocidal violence. The families of those massacred, both then and now, demand not only remembrance but urgent action. Ending Israel’s apartheid system and occupation, holding its leaders accountable for their crimes, and implementing the right of return for Palestinian people are essential steps toward justice.