Skip to main content
Advertise with the Morning Star
‘Avenging Sabra and Shatila’ — Israeli massacres and Palestinian resistance
When the survivors of one of the most infamous crimes against the Palestinian diaspora took Israel to court in Belgium, the US used its influence to block the case — but the struggle for justice does not end there, writes RAMZY BAROUD
NOT FORGOTTEN: A 2003 demonstration commemorating the Sabra and Shatila massacre

SEPTEMBER 16 marks the 40th anniversary of the Sabra and Shatila massacre, the killing of around 3,000 Palestinians at the hands of Lebanon’s Phalangist militias operating under the command of the Israeli army.  

Four decades have passed, yet no measure of justice has been received by the survivors of the massacre. Many of them have died, and others are ageing while they carry the scars of physical and psychological wounds, in the hope that, perhaps, within their lifetime they will see their executioners behind bars.  

However, many of the Israeli and Phalange commanders who had ordered the invasion of Lebanon, orchestrated or carried out the heinous massacres in the two Palestinian refugee camps in 1982, have already died. Ariel Sharon, who was implicated by the official Israeli Kahan Commission a year later for his “indirect responsibility” for the grisly mass killing and rape, later rose in rank to become, in 2001, Israel’s prime minister.  

The 95th Anniversary Appeal
Support the Morning Star
You have reached the free limit.
Subscribe to continue reading.
Similar stories
An Israeli Defense Forces tank is towed near the Israel-Gaza border, southern Israel, June 26, 2025
Features / 1 July 2025
1 July 2025

Israel’s genocide in Palestine and wars against its neighbours would be impossible without constant Western support — so we must amplify the brave voices demanding a halt, argues DR RAMZY BAROUD

Displaced Palestinians return to their destroyed homes in th
Features / 5 February 2025
5 February 2025
RAMZY BAROUD explains why, despite horrific losses and destruction, many Palestinians talk of return to their homes as a victory
Activists protest outside the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Dev
Features / 10 December 2024
10 December 2024
RAMZY BAROUD offers a penetrating, if blunt, insight on the changing nature and role of international solidarity for Palestine