Operation Litani 1978: Israel's First Lebanon Invasion

In March 1978, Israel launched Operation Litani, its first large-scale invasion of Lebanon, sending 25,000 troops across the border to push Palestinian militants away from the Galilee. This episode unpacks the military operation, the political chaos in Beirut during the ongoing civil war, and the creation of UNIFIL, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon. We explore the decision-making of Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Defense Minister Ezer Weizman, the response of the fragmented Lebanese government under President Elias Sarkis, and the impact on civilians in southern Lebanon. The invasion failed to achieve its stated goals, instead deepening the cycle of violence and leading directly to the rise of the South Lebanon Army militia under Saad Haddad. Join Lucas and Luna as they examine how this forgotten campaign set the stage for the far more destructive 1982 war and the long-term entanglement of Israel in Lebanon's fate.

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