Massacre: Beirut Sabra and Shatila Palestinian camps. An investigation

Note: Re-edit of “Investigation into a massacre: Sabra and Chatila by Amnon Kapeliouk (June 17, 2009)”

After I published the post “The culprit: vegetative Ariel Sharon” I got hold of a frightening manuscript that kept me awake all night.

Amnon Kapeliouk published in 1982 a French book “Investigation into a massacre: Sabra and Chatila”.  He gathered valuable information from a wide variety of sources both in Israel and in Lebanon.  The manuscript describes in 115 pages details of the genocide that was perpetrated in the Palestinian camps in south Beirut from Tuesday September 14 to Monday 20, 1982.

I will end the review with the political and economic reasons for this mindless and bestial slaughter house tale.

Before Tuesday, September 14, 1982

By summer 1981, Israel defense Minister Ariel Sharon had prepared an incursion plan into Lebanon.  Israel invaded Lebanon on June 4, 1982 with the avowed intention of limiting the incursion to 40 kilometers and cleaning up pockets of Palestinian resistance in south Lebanon.

In the Knesset on June 8, Menachem Begin PM describes the Palestinians “animals with two legs”.

During a monster demonstration on July 17 in Tel Aviv Menachem Begin PM declared “By the end of this year we will have signed a peace treaty with Lebanon.”

The Israeli incursion extended to the Capital Beirut, leaving 20,000 civilian dead and 30,000 severely injured.

“Plan Reagan” of September 2 denied Israel the annexation of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.  Israel was pressured to end this invasion and Ariel Sharon would repeatedly answer “Patience gentlemen; the fruit of this war will be obvious soon”

Minister Yaakov Meridor sent a directive to the Israeli army related to the Palestinian refugees stating: “Force the Palestinians to flee toward East Lebanon to the borders with Syria. Do not let them return”

The Israeli army (Tsahal) did their best to totally demolish the Palestinian camps in south Lebanon, in Tyr, and Saida; it effected mass slaughter among the refugees.

This directive failed because the Palestinian refugees had nowhere else to go.  It was obviously that the main objective of this war was to evacuate most of the Palestinians out of Lebanon and toward Syria. 

Israel knew that Lebanon was too small, weak, and with a social and political confessional fabric that would never allow the majority Palestinian Sunnis residency status.  Since the sole objective is to practically cancel out UN resolution 194 for the “right of return” of the refugees to their homeland Palestine then the other alternative was to kill as many as they could.

Ariel Sharon bombarded Beirut for three weeks and closed off all access to the Capital.  The Lebanese political leaders in Beirut urged Arafat to leave Beirut and a deal with President Reagan’s special envoy Philip Habib stipulated that the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) headed by Yasser Arafat and 12,000 strong was to be evacuated to Cyprus on French navies and then head to Tunisia.

The PLO left Lebanon and the camps were left undefended.

The multinationals of the USA, France, and Italy (supposed by the deal to defend the civilians) vacated their posts around the Palestinian camps by order of Israel.

During the early years of the civil war in Lebanon there were three camps in the Christian districts such the ones in Dbayeh, Jesr al Basha, and Tell al Zaatar.

The Christian militias overran these camps and forced the evacuation of the Christian Palestinians by military activities, genocide, and terror.  These camps were prime Real Estates and the developers, the deputies and ministers of the Metn district made a fortune.

As Israel invaded Lebanon in 1982, the “Lebanese Forces” and Real Estates developers had plans for the even higher value Estates in Chatila and Sabra Palestinian camps in Beirut. They figured that they will rule Lebanon alongside the Israelis.

Tuesday, September 14, 1982; (Iron Brain Operation):

The Israeli army is stationed on the outskirts of Beirut on all sides. Multinational forces of the USA, France, and Italy were brought in to protect the Palestinian civilians in the camps around Beirut.

Bachir Gemayel was elected President of the Lebanese Republic on August 23 under the bayonet of the Israeli army. (Deputies were brought in Israeli tanks to vote).

Bachir Gemayel (34 years old) was the closest ally to Israel since the civil war broke out in April 13, 1975 and he  headed the Christian militias named “The Lebanese Forces” that united the Phalange Party, the Party of Camille Chamoun, and other fringe parties by coercion and frightful infighting.

“The Lebanese Forces” had received from Israel military training, military sophisticated hardware, logistics, and military intelligence.  Israel Menachem Began PM and Ariel Sharon (Defense Minister) expected immediate peace pact to be signed by Bashir.

Bashir was reluctant to officially sign any peace treaty before he discuss with Arab leaders and consolidate his power.

The day before his formal appointment as President, and at 4:10 p.m. a charge of 50 kilos of TNT explodes at the above flat where Bachir was meeting with his supporters in Ashrafieh.

Sharon had accurate intelligence of the status and location of of Bachir within minutes.  The Media and radios would refrain from declaring Bachir dead until 10:30 p.m.

By 6 p.m. Israel has established an air bridge to land tanks and soldiers in Beirut airport.  Sharon and Begin PM agree to enter the Capital Beirut without consulting with their cabinet of ministers.  An already detailed military plan for invading West Beirut is unfolded in the Defense Ministry.

Wednesday, September 15; (Israel occupies the first Arab Capital)

General Amir Drori, commander of Northern Israel region, receive the order at 12:30 a.m. to take over the strategic points in West Beirut.  At 3:30 a.m. commanders of the Christian militias known as “Lebanese Forces” are assembled in their headquarters on the outskirt of south Beirut close to the Israeli headquarter.

The Israeli Generals Rafael Eytan (Falfoul) and Amir Drori are discussing plans with the militia officers Fadi Frem, Elie Hobeika, Emile 3id, Michel Zouein, Deeb Anastase, Maroun Mich3alani, Joseph Edde and the liaison “Jessy”.  They are ironing out details of the invasion of the Christian milias into the Palestinian camps of Sabra and Chatila.

The “Lebanese Forces” militia got busy painting their logos on walls and trees with directional arrows for troop’s movement from Chouweifat to Kuwait Embassy.  At 5 a.m. the Israeli forces have cordoned off both Palestinian camps.  By 9 a.m. Ariel Sharon is observing the deployment from a tall building close to the Kuwait Embassy and overlooking the camps, 200 meters away.

Sharon finds time at 1 a.m. to fly to Bikfaya and present his condolences to the Gemayel family; he is received coldly.  The Lebanese army in West Beirut refuses to cooperate with Tsahal.  By nightfall electricity power is shut off in West Beirut.  By 10 p.m. rockets for lighting the Palestinian camps are launched at the rate of two per minutes at each launching point.

Thursday, September 16 (Felicitations! Our friends are entering the camps)

By noon, West Beirut has completely fallen and Tsahal is rounding up thousands of Lebanese at checkpoints.  The Palestinian camps are shelled and Israeli snipers are active.

At noon General Drori asks Fadi Frem if his militias are ready to enter the camps. They are ready and 1,500 Christian militias receive the green light for action.  They assemble by the airport and the Israeli General Amos Yaron exhibit to them aerial maps.

General Yaron confirms that Tsahal will deliver all the logistics and supplies for the “cleaning up of the camps“.  The Christian militias were never shy proclaiming at every occasion to the Israeli officers that they meant a thorough slaughter of babies, women, and elderly Palestinians.

The Phalangists (Kataeb) used to utter their motto “A dead Palestinian is pollution. The extermination of all Palestinian refugees in Lebanon is the solution”

A unit of 150 Christian’ militias crosses from Ouzai to the Lebanese army barrack of Henri Chehab to their headquarters at the UN building. 

The Israeli checkpoints let 25 jeeps packed of militias enter the camp of Chatila at 4 p.m.  The frightened civilian Palestinians go to the Israeli headquarter ad expressed their strong concerns. They are told to return and not be worried.

A detachment of soldiers of the splintered Lebanese army in south Lebanon and commanded by Major Saad Haddad, the stooge to Israel, arrives to the outskirts of Chatila.  Before 5 p.m. the dirty wolves were inside the chicken hen.

Within an hour, hundreds of Palestinian civilians, babies, women, and elderly are slaughtered by machetes, knives, and hatchets. 

Palestinians and Lebanese within the camps, regardless of being Christians or Muslims, are killed while having supper. The militias cut off limbs of women to grab bracelets attached in their forearms before finishing off their victims. Babies’ skulls are smashed on walls. Women are raped before being killed.  Nine Jewish women who married Palestinians long time ago were also killed.

During the night delegations of Palestinians arrive at Israel’s headquarter to explain the situation and they are repulsed to the camps; most of the members of the delegations disappeared.

A militia demands a stretcher for a few wounded companions and explains “We have finished off more than 250 dirty Palestinians”.

By 11 p.m. a militia commander had expedited to the highest military Israeli echelons a succinct report stating “As of now 300 terrorists have been eliminated”.  The camps were brightly lighted with 81 mm rockets.  Two thousand Palestinians take refuge in nearby hospitals named Akka and Gaza.

In Jerusalem at 7:30 p.m. the Israeli cabinet met for 4 hours; Chief of Staff Raphael Eytan quickly goes over the situation in the camps stating “The Phalangists are cleaning up a few nests of terrorists”.

The massacre resumed for the entire night.

The Israeli soldiers were witnessing the genocides and did not move.  A single Israeli soldier with a minimum of moral standing and with a minimum of guts could have entered and ordered the militias out; they would have obeyed! Nobody moved. The Israeli soldiers just reported to their higher commanders who knew the plan.

Friday, September 17

At day break and from their posts Israeli soldiers could see people lined up on walls and executed.

The hospitals are invested; foreign physicians and nurses are chased out and everyone inside is killed.  An Israeli officer broadcast “It is not done to pleasure us. I forbid you to intervene in the camps.”

Fresh militias, among them “soldiers” of Saad Haddad, enter the camps in jeeps and bulldozers borrowed from the Israeli army.

At 11 a.m. the militias barge into Akka hospital and finish off the injured; they raped a nurse 10 times before killing her.

Forty of the personnel are hoarded into a truck; they will disappear.  Bulldozers are digging ditches by the Israeli headquarter; a Norwegian diplomat observe a shoveling truck dumping cadavers into the ditches.

By noon, fresh militias reinforcement are observed by the airport; ten “command cars”, 13 tanks, jeeps, and more bulldozers are filmed by an Israeli TV channel reporter Ron Ben Yichai heading toward the camps.  The militias carry with them plenty of alcoholic beverages and hashish.

The Israeli Chief of Staff lands his helicopter at Beirut airport 3:30 p.m. and meet with the militia chief Fadi Frem and congratulates him on “a job well done” because they did not obey the American orders to vacate the camps.

Eytan flies back to his ranch in Tel-Adachim to celebrate Israel’s New Year with his family; he will call Sharon around 9 p.m. to tell him “the Phalangists are exaggerating“.

Today, the militias are shooting bullets to expedite the “clean up” mission.  Trucks packed with Palestinians are taken out of camps; the detainees are never heard of.

All night long, with the camps well lighted by Israeli rockets, the bulldozers are destroying the shantytown homes over their inhabitants.

Yesterday, the objective was to terrorize the Palestinians out of camps; they had nowhere to go since the Israeli checkpoints forced them to return to camps.

This night, the goal is to erase the camp completely of any structure and clean up this prime Real Estate.  Ben Yichai called up Sharon to inform him of the horrible conditions in the camps and he reported “Ariel Sharon gave me the impression that he was updated thoroughly on the situation”.

In the Israeli headquarters soldiers are eating lavishly, celebrating the New Year, and enjoying the carnage scene overlooking the Palestinian camps. A single Israeli soldier with a minimum of moral standing and with a minimum of balls could have entered and ordered the militias out: they would have obeyed!  Nobody moved.

Saturday, September 18, 1982:  (No prisoners taken)

At dawn the carnage goes on.

It will resume till after 10 a.m. the time that Israel had decided that the operation should end. At 6 a.m. the loudspeakers of the militias are encouraging the Palestinians to set out of their homes saying “Go out and you will be saved” (Sallimou Tislamou).

Thousands obey the order and they are hoarded into trucks; they will disappear. Many are executed on the way: “It is better to kill the maximum before delivering them to the Israelis”; the roads toward Ouzai are strewn with bodies.  The bulldozers and shoveling equipments are working full time.

The hospitals get invested again and the injured achieved.  The foreign physicians and nurses witness the activities helplessly.

At exactly 10 a.m. Israeli tanks move toward the camps; it is the signal for the militias to vacate the camps. Over 4,000 Palestinian and Lebanese civilians in camps containing more than 20,000 will be recorded disappeared.

For two weeks, the Lebanese army, Red Cross, and volunteers will not be able to “re-clean up” this human disaster. (To be continued in my posts “Reactions to the genocide”)

Note 1:  The Lebanese Shiaa in south Lebanon had strong animosity against the Palestinian fedayeen since 1975 when the civil war started: Israel was constantly shelling and bombing the south “in reprisal” of the Palestinian “katiusha” and the Lebanese government and army had stopped reacting or coming to the aid of its citizens in south Lebanon.

The charismatic leaders of the Shiaa Imam Moussa Sadr managed to control their anger until he “disappeared” in 1978 while on a visit to Libya.

Probably Israel had assassinated Sadr and blamed Kadhafi for the disappearance. Israel knew that as Moussa Sadr is out of the picture then the Shiaa will welcome the Israeli invading forces with rice and joy to get rid of the Palestinian resistance forces.

That is what happened exactly; Shiaa joined the splintered Lebanese army in the south which was commanded by major Saad Haddad, a stooge to Israel.

From 1978 to 1983 the Shiaa militias of AMAL, lead by Nabih Berri, the successor to Sadr, followed the orders of the Syrian regime to enter every Palestinian camp and retrieve heavy arms; many battles with the Palestinians inside camps were routine.

All that was reversed as Hezbollah was formed in 1984 by the support of Khomeini in Iran. Nabih Berry of AMAL calmed down and Israel withdrew without any preconditions from south Lebanon in May 24, 2000 as the splintered Lebanese army lacked manpower and suffered heavy casualties by the frequent well targeted Hezbollah attacks.

Note 2: Yasser Arafat played a central role during the Lebanese civil war that started in April 13, 1975 and ended in 1991.  He tried to maintain a balanced position in the tag of war between Hafez Assad of Syria and Sadate of Egypt at the expense of the Lebanese civilians.

The leftist Lebanese organizations relied on Arafat for logistics in arms and ammunition and he controlled them completely.

Arafat and his PLO were actually fighting Israel, Syria, and the Christian militias of the “Lebanese Forces”. Arafat once declared in Ramallah around 1998 that he was the de facto governor of Lebanon for over 20 years, even before the civil war broke out.

Lebanon would have been saved 13 years of mindless civil war if Arafat had decided to relinquish Lebanon to Syria and dealt with Israel in 1977 instead of 1993 for part of Palestine as he was forced to do later during the Oslo Agreement.

Note 3: There are indications that ex-President Amine Gemayel, Deputy and Minister Michel Murr, and the Maronite Church are among the profiteers in the reclamation of the land of the Palestinian camps in the Christian cantons.