Israel's 1982 invasion of Lebanon serves as a warning

+ doctors aren't taught much about diet US Edition - Today's top story: Lebanese civilians are fleeing the south, fearing an Israeli invasion − a look back at 1982 suggests they have every reason to worry [View in browser]( US Edition | 25 September 2024 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Top headlines - [5 things to understand about why people support Trump]( - [Can you change your personality? Psychology research says yes]( - [Visa restrictions are making it harder for doctors to immigrate]( Lead story For almost a year, Israel and Hezbollah have been engaged in tit-for-tat exchanges across the Lebanon border. To date, these attacks have largely been delivered from the air − with militants firing rockets into northern Israel, and Israel assassinating Hezbollah commanders, and others, through airstrikes. But a rapid escalation in recent days, starting with an attack on Hezbollah via booby-trapped pagers and walkie-talkies and followed by an Israeli bombardment that killed hundreds in Lebanon, has raised the specter of a new phase in the conflict − and possibly a ground invasion. Mireille Rebeiz, an expert on Lebanese history at Dickinson College, notes that [such a move is not without precedent](. In 1982, Israel sent troops and tanks across the border in an operation aimed at eliminating the Palestine Liberation Organization. In the aftermath, thousands of civilians were massacred, and Lebanon descended further into political and economic chaos. Meanwhile, Israel found that invasion and occupation of southern Lebanon did not provide security − rather it provided the conditions in which a new militant group was formed: Hezbollah. Rebeiz’s piece serves as a warning: “The next step in this deadly escalation could well be a ground invasion. But in 1982, such an operation resulted only in catastrophic results for all concerned − and set in place the conditions for decades of hostilities across the Lebanon-Israel border.” [ [Understand business news and trends better. Sign up for our weekly Global Economy & Business newsletter](. ] Matt Williams Senior International Editor Israeli soldiers in armored vehicles drive through a Lebanese village in 1982. Bryn Colton/Getty Images [Lebanese civilians are fleeing the south, fearing an Israeli invasion − a look back at 1982 suggests they have every reason to worry]( Mireille Rebeiz, Dickinson College Israel’s attempt to eliminate militant Palestinians in Lebanon led to slaughter of civilians, economic and political chaos and the creation of Hezbollah. 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