The massacre at Sabra and Shatila in September 1982 remains one of the darkest atrocities in modern history, a brutal act of inhumanity orchestrated and enabled by the Israeli military. Over the course of three days, thousands of unarmed Palestinian refugees, including women, children, and the elderly, were systematically slaughtered in an orgy of violence that was as senseless as it was barbaric. Prelude to Genocide: In the midst of the Lebanese Civil War, Israeli forces invaded Lebanon under the pretext of driving out the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). By September 1982, Israeli troops had seized control of West Beirut, surrounding Palestinian refugee camps, including Sabra and Shatila. Despite assurances of safety for the refugees following the evacuation of PLO fighters, what unfolded was a cold and calculated betrayal. On September 16, under the watchful eyes of Israeli forces, Lebanese Christian Phalangist militias—Israel's allies—were given the green light to enter the camps. The Israeli military surrounded the camps, sealed all exits, and provided flares to light the night skies, ensuring the killers could carry out their mission with precision. The Slaughter Begins: For three horrifying days, the refugees in Sabra and Shatila endured unspeakable terror. The Phalangist militia, with full Israeli complicity, unleashed a bloodbath, indiscriminately massacring unarmed civilians. Men were dragged from their homes and executed. Women were raped and murdered. Children were butchered in front of their families. Eyewitness accounts describe bodies littering the streets, homes drenched in blood, and the air heavy with the stench of death. Entire families were wiped out in a calculated effort to exterminate the Palestinian presence. The images of mutilated bodies, many of them women and children, shocked the world. Israeli Complicity: A Crime That Cannot Be Forgotten: While the Phalangist militia carried out the physical slaughter, Israel bears full responsibility for enabling and facilitating the massacre. The Israeli military controlled the camps’ perimeters, prevented refugees from escaping, and provided logistical support to the killers. This was no act of ignorance or negligence. Israeli leaders, including Defense Minister Ariel Sharon, orchestrated the conditions that allowed the massacre to unfold. The Kahan Commission, an Israeli inquiry into the events, concluded that Sharon bore “personal responsibility” for the massacre—a damning yet insufficient acknowledgment of his role in the atrocity. A Story of Loss and Betrayal: Among the countless victims was a young boy named Ahmad, who watched as his family was torn apart. His parents were executed before his eyes. His younger sister, barely old enough to speak, was killed while clinging to their mother. Ahmad survived by hiding under a pile of corpses, too traumatized to cry or move. This story is not unique. It echoes the experiences of hundreds of survivors who carry the scars of that massacre, both physical and emotional. For the Palestinian people, Sabra and Shatila are more than just camps—they are symbols of their unending suffering and the world’s indifference to their plight. The Aftermath: Justice Denied: Despite global condemnation, justice for the victims of Sabra and Shatila remains elusive. Ariel Sharon, far from facing accountability, later became Israel’s Prime Minister, a grim testament to the impunity enjoyed by those in power. The Phalangist leaders responsible for the killings were never held to account, and the survivors have been left with nothing but their grief and memories.