The Ceasefire Charade: Another Verse in the Old Song
The Al Jazeera report, citing an unnamed refugee NGO, informs us that Israeli warplanes conducted 'more than 50 raids on Lebanon last month.' This, apparently, is the 'highest level since the ceasefire.' Curiously, the report doesn't specify *which* ceasefire—a minor detail, one might think, unless you understand that ceasefires in this region often serve as brief interludes before the next
'retaliatory' cycle. FIRST INSTANCE: The 1978 Litani Operation and the Perpetual 'Ceasefire' The concept of a 'ceasefire' followed by aggressive military action in Lebanon isn't new. In 1978 , following a Palestinian guerrilla raid, Israel launched Operation Litani, invading southern Lebanon and establishing a security zone. Ostensibly a 'defensive' measure, it led to massive displacement (over
100,000 Lebanese) and solidified the pattern of Israeli military incursions despite UN resolutions (UNSC Resolution 425, 1978 , demanding Israeli withdrawal). The subsequent 'ceasefires' were regularly punctuated by alleged 'hot pursuit' or 'preemptive' strikes. REPETITIONS: The 1982 Invasion and the 'Security Zone' Farce Fast forward to 1982 . Despite a ceasefire brokered the previous year,
Israel launched a full-scale invasion, 'Operation Peace for Galilee,' pushing all the way to Beirut. The pretext? An assassination attempt on its ambassador, not directly linked to Lebanon. This led to a devastating war, the Sabra and Shatila massacre ( 1982 ), for which then-Defense Minister Ariel Sharon was found indirectly responsible by an Israeli commission. The 'ceasefire line' swiftly