May 19, 1985 · Beirut — Palestinian refugee camps Theater
May 19, 1985
From 1985 to 1988, Amal, the Shia militia supported by Syria, besieged the Palestinian refugee camps of Sabra, Shatila, and Bourj el-Barajneh in a series of prolonged assaults designed to prevent the PLO from reconstituting its military presence in Lebanon. Camp residents, mostly civilians, endured starvation conditions and repeated assaults. The fighting pitted Palestinian fighters defending the camps against Syrian-backed Amal forces, with Hezbollah occasionally intervening to allow food convoys.
Commanders