History of Wars in Southern Lebanon: From 1978 to Present

A report by Ahmad Abdallah, English adaptation by Nadine Sassine 

Since the late 1970s, southern Lebanon has witnessed six wars, five of which ended in negotiations under UN auspices and international resolutions.

The beginning of Israeli wars on Lebanon was with Operation Litani in 1978. On that occasion, Israel attacked Lebanon, targeting factions of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), including Fatah. The fierce war lasted a week and ended with UN Security Council Resolution 425, which called for Israel to withdraw from Lebanese territory after its invasion.

This resolution did not prevent Israel from invading Lebanon again in 1982, culminating in its occupation of Beirut in an operation it named "Operation Peace for Galilee," aimed at expelling the PLO from Lebanon. The conflict ended with PLO forces led by Yasser Arafat leaving Beirut under international protection, and the issuance of UN Security Council Resolution 520, which called for the withdrawal of foreign forces from Lebanon. However, Israeli forces continued to occupy southern Lebanon.

In 1996, Israel launched a swift military operation called "Operation Grapes of Wrath," which lasted sixteen days and included several massacres, most notably the Qana massacre. This war ended with a truce brokered by late Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and sponsored by the United States. The agreement stipulated the non-attack on civilians, Israel's right to self-defense, and the right to resist the Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon.

Throughout the years from 1982 to 2000, the national resistance continued its operations against the Israeli occupation until the great liberation on May 25, 2000. Although Israel was expelled from most of the south, its occupation of the Shebaa Farms and the seven villages continued, and Lebanon's dispute with Israel also extended to the thirteen disputed points on land.

Israel's aggressions did not stop, and it violated all international resolutions issued to resolve the conflict between the two sides, most notably Resolution 425. The south witnessed a major war again in 2006. This war ended with an agreement to ceasefire, the deployment of UNIFIL forces along the Blue Line separating the two countries and the Lebanese army, leading to the issuance of Resolution 1701.

Since then, calm prevailed on the front until October 8. On that day, Hezbollah opened a supporting front against Israel from Lebanon, bringing Resolution 1701 back to the forefront, especially with the mediation led by US Special Envoy Amos Hochstein to stop the war. The mediation talks about implementing Resolution 1701, with both parties setting their conditions—Israel wants Hezbollah to be pushed north of the Litani River, while Lebanon insists on its full rights to its land.